Document Your Move Ins

When you are a property manager you have to plan for all the bad things that might happen. You never know which owner, tenant, vendor, or whoever will go south on you. That friendly tenant that wanted your place so bad may well hate you the day after they move in if the place is not clean enough, or their parents don't like the neighborhood,

When a new tenant moves in it all seems good. But wait until they move out and have trashed the place. The tenant will tell everyone that they have left the place "cleaner than when I moved in". Yeh, right!

To protect yourself and your client, do a move in inspection. Go room by room and note the condition of the walls, floor, doors, window covering, windows, locks, electric plates, and so on. Take a few photos to demonstrate the general cleanliness of the place. Do this for all inside and outside areas of the rental. Some landlords are even video taping their rentals.

Now, have the tenant sign that form and give them a copy. Tell them you expect the place to be returned in the same condition.

Safeguard that form and the photos. Upon move out you may be pleasantly surprised or aghast. But, with your record of the move in condition you can make an assessment of the differences and charge the deposit accordingly.

Now aren't you glad you prepared for the worst.