Creating positive interactions with your tenants is something you should actively do as a property owner. The perfect time to have these interactions is when you do your move-in walkthrough. A move-in walkthrough will offer a lot of benefits, not just for your tenant, but for you as well! 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. However, this view of move-in walkthroughs does little to benefit you. A walkthrough should be held at both move-in and move-out. What is a move-in walkthrough, by the way? It’s the literal walking through the property so as to identify any problems or issues that need to be addressed before the tenant moves in.
It’s wise for McDonough property managers to take the move-in walkthrough seriously. Here are 2 good reasons:
- It makes it possible for you and your tenant to trust each other. Walking through the property with your tenant will make it clear to him/her that you are concerned about the maintenance of your property, and that you are open to what your tenant has to say about it as well. Tenants who feel confident that their landlord will respond in positivity will be more likely to bring up smaller issues; hence, helping reduce repair costs. When the opportunity presents itself, you could even review the “house rules” with your renter. In these moments, you can establish good relations with your tenants so as to build good and healthy rapport.
- It helps you to be precise in the deduction of the deposit at the end of the lease. Make the move-out time go by smoothly by taking 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 most out of a move-in walkthrough, you need to make us of a couple of best practices. Here are a few:
- Schedule a walkthrough with your tenant. Organize a set time for you and your new tenant to complete a move-in walkthrough. 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. A move-in checklist should be given to your tenant, and both of you can comb through it together. After, ensure your tenant has his/her own hard copy of the checklist. This is a good demonstration of your willingness to be open and transparent with your tenant by setting the expectations clearly.
- Take photos. Anything that should be carefully considered in the property should be documented through pictures — such as potential repairs. To schedule repairs, you can use the pictures for reference. Also, these pictures are something you can refer back to for when it’s time to do a move-out walkthrough.
Move-in walkthroughs are essential and should be standard practice; however, they do take time. And, if your property is not near your area of residence, then these walkthroughs really have to be planned well. In this case, you will need someone who can really handle all of the planning and execution on your behalf, so that the walkthrough accomplishes what it is supposed to. At Real Property Management Anchor, we provide a full range of services that help rental property owners make the most of their investments. Call 770-506-1237 today to learn more!
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