Why Detailed Move In Inspections are Important

According to Maryland law, the move-in inspection should be performed with both the property owner and tenants present. This way any damages found in the property at the time the tenant takes possession are seen and agreed to by both parties. So, you might be asking why detailed move-in inspections are important? Let’s sit down with Innovative Properties, the specialists in turnkey property management solutions, and list out 4 reasons that these inspections are so critical.

1. Easily Recover Repair Costs

We recommend you always collect a security deposit from your new tenants at the start of their lease term. This is to cover any costs associated with damages to the property, an early lease termination, and any unpaid rent on the part of your tenants. However, in order to use your tenant’s security deposit to cover the costs of damages that go beyond normal wear and tear, you’ll need to have proof that those damages did not exist at the time your tenants moved in.

This is where a thorough and detailed move-inspection comes into play.

If you and your tenants sign a document agreeing to the original state of the property at the beginning of the lease term, and the property looks very different from the original state at the end of the lease term, you have the legal proof that you can collect from your tenant’s security deposit to make any necessary repairs.

2. Maryland Law Requires It

Every landlord needs to follow all federal, state, and local landlord-tenant laws when it comes to disclosing specific information to tenants at the time, they move in. One of the most important things to disclose to your Maryland tenants, which may end up on your move-in inspection checklist, is the certification that your property is free of any lead paint hazards.

According to Maryland’s reduction of lead risk in housing law, all properties built before 1978 must be registered as having potential lead paint hazards. In addition, landlords must distribute educational materials regarding lead paint hazards, and meet specific inspection requirements that certify the property is safe for living.

As a rental property owner, it is your legal duty to include this information in the move-in inspection so that your tenants are fully aware of what type or rental property they are about to reside in.

3. It Holds Parties Responsible

Detailed and thorough move-in inspections are designed to hold all parties – the landlord, property manager, and tenants – responsible for the condition of the rental property at the time of move-in, during the lease term, and at the end when the tenant moves out.

During the move-in inspection this holds you responsible for detailing the damages at the end of the lease term as an itemized list of security deposit deductions. This ensure that you do not wrongfully take your tenant’s security deposits to fix things in the property that are considered normal wear and tear items.

4. It Protects Your Property, Business and Bottom Line

Here are just some of the biggest complications that can arise from not conduction a detailed move-in inspection of your rental property before the tenant moves in:

• If you wait until after your tenant has moved in to ask them to complete a move-in inspection, you may have trouble compelling them to finish it properly
• Once a tenant starts to move-in, the original condition of the property has already become altered, perhaps even damaged, with no proof of when the damage occurred
• If you let your tenant complete the inspection without you or your property manager, you run the risk of additional things being added to the list that are not there
• Simply failing to complete a move-in inspection altogether makes collecting the security deposit for repairs nearly impossible

In Conclusion

If you own an investment property and want to make sure all parties are protected from the start of any tenancy be sure to reach out to Innovative Properties today. We can help you buy, sell or lease residential or commercial property. With over 200 rental homes, condos, multi-family complexes, and commercial properties under management, we are the largest residential property management service in the region.

About Innovative Properties

Innovative Properties is a property management company in Anne Arundel County focused on helping residential, commercial, & HOA property clients. With over 30 years of experience in property management and leasing, we can help you rent, sell, or buy your next property in Anne Arundel County.