A: We have a fiduciary duty to our owners to carry out a thorough inspection of the property prior to commencement of a tenancy.
When a tenant vacates a property, we have a full record as to the condition of the property when the tenant moved in
This provide us with scope to negotiate with a tenant should there be damages or cleaning required at the end of the tenancy
SACAT will rely on inspection reports if any claims are disputed through the tribunal process.
To ensure any insurance claim is supported by evidence.
This report is done as close as possible prior to commencement of the tenancy and it is important that the report be a honest representation of the property condition, be it clean or dirty, newly constructed or in need of repair.
The report needs to be in a format the covers all accessible areas and fittings at the property, integrate text and images and if possible, include video.
The “Property Tree Master Template” should be used for all new ingoing inspection reports.
The standard template ‘Property Tree Master Template’ has a basic layout covering almost all areas/items/fixtures with the ability to add property specific fixtures/fittings and extra rooms containing the standard areas/items.
Reports in the past may have been done against a different layout so the final can be done against the original report. All attempts should be made to use the master template for new ingoings as it contains all areas/items required and can easily add new rooms/areas containing the appropriate text
A: Yes, you can but only if:
there was no cleaning or repairs to be done after the final inspection for the previous tenant, the outgoing inspection can be rolled over to a new ingoing inspection.
there is no tenant ready to move in immediately, the final can be rolled over provided no more than 14 days has elapsed.
there has been minor cleaning or repairs done before a new tenancy commences, roll over the final inspection but attend the property and take photos of the areas which has been addressed.
Make sure all photos are clear and reflect any of your associated comments clearly
Is there an alarm system?
Was there any power on at the property when the inspection was being done (this could influence the reporting if the property is particularly dark as it can be difficult to see the true condition, particularly in the standard of cleanliness)
Did you have trouble getting in i.e. any keys missing from the agents set of keys
Make sure all photos are in portrait and the right way up
Take photos from different angles (it doesn’t matter if you take 5 photos of the gutters)
Take photos of electricity and gas meters, bins, pool pumps, rainwater tanks, all fences.
Appliances – take photos of the appliance sticker which shows the make, model and serial number
Take photos of wall controls (air conditioning, alarms). Open the doors and take another photo – this will show the door is not broken
If the blinds are rolled up – close them to make sure they work and are not damaged. Venetian blinds – open & close them using the wand and cords to open & shut them
Exterior blinds – make sure they go up & down and take a photo of them in down position to show any damages/state of cleanliness
Before leaving, walk back through the property to make sure you haven’t missed anything.