As a property owner, you should make sure that you are able to interact with your tenant positively. A move-in walkthrough is one of the best times for you to be able to do just that. Both you and your tenant will be able to benefit a lot from a move-in walkthrough. Let’s look at these benefits for property owners and a few best practices for making the most of your move-in walkthrough.
Rethinking the Move-In Walkthrough
Too often, the move-in walkthrough is viewed as more of a tenant’s responsibility than something a landlord does. In thinking this way, though, you may be robbing yourself of the many benefits that come with move-in walkthroughs. A walkthrough is best done at both move-in and move-out. The move-in walkthrough allows both landlord and tenant the opportunity to walk around the property with the intention of looking for potential issues that need to be addressed before the tenant moves in.
It’s wise for Fort Worth property managers to take the move-in walkthrough seriously. Here are some good reasons as to why — two, to be exact.
- It facilitates good relations between you and your tenant. When you walk through a property with your tenant, you are showing your interest in keeping your investment in good shape and hear out your tenant’s feedback, if any. Tenants will be more open to reporting small issues immediately if they know that their landlord responds positively. In the bigger picture, this helps reduce repair costs. This is an opportune time to go over the “house rules” with your tenant. In your dealings with your tenants, make sure you think about how you can foster a relationship that is transparent and healthy.
- It helps in being exact with the deductions from the deposit at the end of the lease. To facilitate a swift and stress-free move-out time, you need good documentation of your property’s condition before your tenant moves in. This can help you better gauge wear and tear and other repair issues and provide ample evidence to support any deductions you make from your tenant’s security deposit.
Walkthrough Best Practices
To get the full benefits of a move-in walkthrough, you have to look at some of the best practices. Here are some:
- Schedule a walkthrough with your tenant. Set a time to conduct a move-in walkthrough with your new tenant. This is a good way of getting off on the right foot — make the face-to-face interaction one that is positive and memorable!
- Use a checklist. It’s important that you give your tenant a move-in checklist, and that you look at it together. And then, make sure you give your tenant a hard copy of this checklist. This speaks volumes about how you will be interacting with your tenant. This shows that you are transparent and open with the expectations at the very start.
- Take photos. Any issues should be documented through pictures so that they can be properly recorded and addressed. Pictures are a good way to schedule repairs and as a reference for comparison during the eventual move-out walkthrough.
The value these move-in walkthroughs provide is really good; however, they tend to take a good amount of time. If your property is not nearly accessible to you, you should be able to make the most out of a walkthrough. In any case, you will benefit from the help provided by someone who is not just capable, but aware of what needs to be done in these circumstances. At Real Property Management One Source, we provide a full range of services that help rental property owners make the most of their investments. Call 214-960-1612 today to learn more!
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