Most people know that property managers have hectic jobs. It’s one of the reasons there is such a high turnover of people in the industry. Most get burnt out due to the sheer volume of work. Part of a property manager’s job is performing regular routine inspections of the properties they manage. So can a tenant change a routine inspection Qld?
CAN A TENANT CHANGE A ROUTINE INSPECTION IN QLD?
In short, Yes, they can. But only in extreme circumstances. For example. If someone in the home has a highly contagious illness like covid-19, the tenant can request the routine inspection be changed. While the tenant can request a routine inspection be modified for other reasons, it’s probably very likely the property manager will deny their request. It’s not that the property manager is trying to be complicated.
WHY CAN’T PROPERTY MANAGERS CHANGE ROUTINE INSPECTIONS?
Firstly they can. But what tenants need to realise is that these are booked way in advance. They are often automatically booked via the computer based on when the last routine inspection was done. They are usually secured in groups of other nearby properties to help reduce the property managers’ drive time between them. So while a property manager can technically change a routine inspection, it’s much harder to do; that tenant probably realises it & will create a knock-on effect with another workload.
WHY IS LEGISLATION IN PLACE FOR ROUTINE INSPECTIONS?
Property managers can attend a property with a Form 9 Entry Notice with seven days’ notice to do a routine inspection. The legislation is in place to help property managers manage their high volume of work and ensure they can effectively get around to all the regular reviews they do. Usually, a property manager manages over 100 properties, and if many of their tenants requested a routine inspection be changed, it would be a logistical challenge to accommodate this. Good tenants realise this is why the property manager has a key to the property. It is why the legislation is in place, and the property manager can’t accommodate individual tenants’ requests to change these dates.
You can read more about Form 9 Entry Notices here.
DOES THE TENANT NEED TO BE AT THE PROPERTY WHEN A ROUTINE INSPECTION IS DONE?
No. In fact, as property managers, we prefer they are not present. It allows us to get in, do what we need, and then leave again so we can keep to our tight schedule.
SHOULD TENANTS REPORT MAINTENANCE AT A ROUTINE INSPECTION?
No. It takes too long to log at the routine inspection. If a tenant has maintenance, they should log this as it occurs. Not at some later date and especially not at the routine inspection. Sure, while you can log maintenance at this time, the property manager does not have time for it.
HOW LONG DOES A ROUTINE INSPECTION TAKE?
It depends on the size of the property. Ours takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
WHAT DO WE DO AT A ROUTINE INSPECTION?
We take photos of all the rooms. We make a short note of the cleanliness, condition of each room & any issues. And we look for how clean the property is, how messy it is the property, and if there is any damage or excessive wear and tear.
Also, we look for any possible additional tenants staying or sometimes even if the property is being used to run a business or grow drugs.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE ROUTINE INSPECTION?
The owner receives the report. If the property manager finds anything they are concerned about, they will email the tenant and then do a follow-up. In extreme circumstances, the tenant may be sent a Breach Notice. Which you can read more about here.
IN SUMMARY
The challenge for a property manager to change a routine inspection is much more complex than tenants realise. So good tenants leave it in the hands of their property manager to get on with their job.
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