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Landlord Property Inspections: What inspections to conduct and when

At a very simplistic level, the objective of a property inspection is to ensure that everything with the space (that is to be rented) is “as it should be”. The term “as it should be”, however, is relative to the purpose of an inspection. For instance, when a Baltimore property management company accompanies a tenant on an inspection tour prior to the tenant moving in, the objective might be for the tenant to ensure he/she/they find everything “as it should be” in accordance to Maryland state laws governing implied warranty of fitness (§ 9-14.1). The inspection also serves as a milestone to highlight to the tenant the exact state of the unit as you (owner/landlord) hand it to them for occupancy.

On the other hand, if you conduct an inspection of that same property, as a prospective buyer, the objectives of your inspection might be different. In this case, you may conduct the inspection with a view to assess whether it is a worthy investment, and if everything is “as it should be” before you make an offer. 

In general, however, the overriding scope and objectives of any type of inspections are to safeguard everyone’s interests. In this case, “everyone” includes all stakeholders who are party to a particular rental property lifecycle: Tenants, Landlords, Guests, Property management staff and visitors to the property.

Property management companies in Baltimore typically deal with four types of property lifecycles:

• Applying for rental housing registration with Baltimore County government – which gives landlords permission to offer their property for rent
• New tenants rent and move into a unit on the premises
• Tenants move out of the premises upon expiry of their rental/lease agreements (or any other reason – e.g., forceful eviction)
• Ongoing repair and maintenance of the building

These cycles occur throughout the life of the property, and while it retains its status as rental property.  As an owner/manager, you have both duties and rights granted to you viz. the inspections you conduct. For instance, you are legally obliged to allow tenants to inspect a property, while you accompany them, before they move into the unit. As a corollary to the above, you have a right, conferred on you by law, to inspect the property, accompanied by a tenant, as they (the tenant) prepare to move out of the building.

The scope and types of activity performed under each type of inspection also differs. Take the pre-purchase inspection as an example. If you work with a seasoned realtor or a company specializing in property management in Baltimore, they’ll likely advise an exhaustive inspection. This may include pushing inspection cameras into attics and drains, and conducting infrared sweeps behind drywalls and under concrete floors. These activities typically don’t occur during an inspection when tenants move in or out of a rental unit.

Service providers of rental property management in Baltimore usually assist landlords and property owners with four types of property inspections:

1. PRE-LEASE PROPERTY INSPECTION

This type of inspection typically occurs before a landlord seeks rental property designation. To receive approval for a rental property designation. Baltimore City, through its Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD), approves, manages, and monitors the registration and licensing of residential units in the city/county. Registering the property with DHCD signified a landlord’s/property owners’ intent to designate his/her/their property as a rental unit – it does not guarantee such designation.

Upon registering the property, the law states that a State Licensed, Baltimore City registered Home Inspector must perform an inspection of the premises.  The scope of such an inspection entitles the inspector to look for:

“…basic life, health and safety items to insure the property is up to code and safe for the occupants and neighboring residents, including but not limited to electrical, plumbing, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, interior and exterior sanitary conditions, utilities, and lead paint”

If you own property, and if this is your initial foray into the rental property domain, it might be advisable to work with a specialist in rental property management in Baltimore to guide you through this inspection.

2. PRE-MOVE-IN PROPERTY INSPECTION

This inspection is part of the rental lifecycle of the property, and must be an integral rental agreement process. Before a tenant moves in, they (or their agents) do a walkthrough, along with the landlord (or their agent), of the entire property. The objective of this joint inspection, which occurs when a new tenant rents the unit following the exit of a prior occupant, is to review and document any characteristic of the premises that is not “as it should be”.

Typically, tents and property owners/landlords go from room to room, inspecting every feature of the unit, making note of any anomalies.  For instance, if the carpet in the living room has obvious tears in it, that’s something a pre-move-in inspection must document. The scope of such inspections is limited to identifying and noting any deviation other than that which occurs in the normal course of wear and tear.  A faded carpet in a heavily trafficked area of a home, for instance, might not be cause for concern during such inspections.

It’s always a good idea for property managers in Baltimore, make careful notes – in consultation with the tenant – about anything that is not “as it should be”. Ideally, especially if this is a large unit with multiple rooms, best practice is to take photographs of pre-existing damage, or even record videos of more complex deficiencies. It might be a good idea to share those records with the tenant, and include them as an addendum/appendix to the rental agreement. 

3. PRE-MOVE-OUT PROPERTY INSPECTION

Before a tenant moves out of the unit, and his/her final dues cleared with the landlord/property owner, a pre-move-out inspection must occur. The scope of such an inspection is to ascertain whether the property is in a similar state as when the pre-move-in inspection occurred – barring expected wear and tear.

Seasoned Baltimore property management companies use the pre-move-in inspection documentation, notes, photographs, and videos as a benchmark, to compare the state of the unit prior to the tenant moving out. Once again, best practice dictates that property managers maintain similar records – notes, pictures, and videos – of the state of the property, and compared side-by-side to determine unusual deterioration or damage.

The primary objective and scope of the pre-move-out inspection is to ascertain if damage occurred while the exiting tenant occupied the premises; and if so, to agree upon suitable remedy or compensation. Typically, the landlord/property manager adjusts any costs, to repair or restore the unit, against the tenant’s security deposit withholdings. 

4. ONGOING PROPERTY INSPECTIONS

These are routine, and sometimes special-purpose, inspections that occur as part of an ongoing property maintenance and management cycle. For instance, in-unit furnace or AC filter inspections, and regular (annual/bi-annual) on-premises fire alarm and sprinkler system inspections, fall under this umbrella of inspections. Most well-organized property management companies in Baltimore maintain engineering checklists that determine timelines for these ongoing inspections.

Suppliers of a building’s central cooling and heating system, for instance, may mandate periodic inspections – in-unit and on common elements – of critical components of the system.  If property managers/landlords do not comply with the inspection and maintenance schedule, the systems in question might no longer have supplier/manufacturer warranty coverage.

Most companies involved in property management in Baltimore also conduct special-purpose inspections in the wake of extraordinary circumstances. For instance, even though property managers may have inspected the roof 2-months ago, a special-purpose inspection might occur in the wake of heavy rains, or in the aftermath of a cyclone or tornado.

Move out/in inspections happen whenever a property tenant lifecycle event (exit/entry) occurs. However, that does not preclude other types of inspections from happening simultaneously. For example, as the property manager does a walkabout during a move-in inspection, he/she may also take the opportunity to inspect the state of an in-unit AC filter (typically part of scheduled maintenance).



Regardless of when an inspection occurs, experienced property managers in Baltimore will always ensure they (the inspections) don’t encroach on a tenant’s right to enjoy their stay on the premises.  Ideally, unless it’s an emergency, it’s best practice to ensure tenants have adequate (written) notice of intent to inspect, especially if the inspection requires entry into a unit while a tenant is away.