An Easy-to-follow Guide On Getting You Through Your End Of Tenancy Checks!

As a landlord, lease agreements on properties you own go through various tenants as time goes on. Sometimes agreements may end because the tenant needs to move, and at other times, it may be because you chose to end it or not renew it. Either way, the notice period is predetermined on the lease agreement; the difficulty usually comes when you have to deal with the end of the tenancy.

To simplify this process for you, here’s our quick end of tenancy check guide.

Common Issues Landlords Face

As a landlord, aside from managing your tenant’s needs when they move in and reside on your property, there are other tasks to handle when they move out.

Before we get into how you should conduct your end of tenancy checks, it’s important to understand some of the problems you might face.

1. Refunding The Bond

When the move-out cleaning or sections of your home leave much to be desired, you, as a landlord, have to make a few deductions to the deposit or bond. This is typically the most common problem landlords face.

2. Unclean House

A move-out cleaning is a must whenever a tenant leaves your home. At times due to the hustle and bustle of moving or even due to negligence, the tenant may not return your home to you the way that they should.

Moreover, when the house is properly clean, you will be able to get a much better idea of the damages (if any) inside your home.

3. Unpaid and overdue water or electric bills

If water or electric (or both) bills are not part of the rent, and tenants pay for it separately, overdue bills can be a problem.

You should keep a watch on the metre towards the end of your tenant’s stay so that you (and they) know exactly what they owe.

4. Personal Belongings Left Behind

Sometimes tenants may forget or abandon some of their belongings in the house, leaving you to figure out how to dispose of or return them.

Conducting The Final Inspection

Step 1: The Inventory List

You should have (or write down) an inventory list when your tenant moves in. This list (also known as a chattels list) details every single item within your property, its condition and photographs of them. This includes kitchen appliances, doors and even fittings and fixtures!

How to check the list

While performing your end of tenancy checks, go through each item on the list (along with your tenant) and make sure everything is in the same condition, or you can use a property management company.

If you choose to conduct this check, carry the list and photos with you and work through the house room by room.

As a landlord, you should play fair – and not deduct money from the bond or make your tenant pay for wear and tear due to daily use of items on your chattels list.

Calculating wear and tear

This is one of the trickiest parts when it comes to calculating if – and the amount – of deductions, you will make to your tenant’s bond.

For instance, upholstery that has faded due to sunlight exposure is something out of your – and your tenant’s – control. However, food and beverage stains on the upholstery are due to carelessness on your tenant’s part (and you can make deductions on the bond in these cases to repair the damage.)

Find a reasonable rate for the repair costs after doing some research to make the deductions as fair as possible.

Step 2: Work Your Way Room By Room

Arrange a time that works for both you and your tenant to conduct the inspection. To avoid any last-minute hassles, ensure that your tenant has moved all of their personal belongings out of your home.

If for any reason, you or the tenant cannot be a part of the inspection, either party should take photos and make notes to avoid any conflict.

Use your inventory list to conduct the end of tenancy checks.

Here’s a breakdown of the various areas and what you should look out for

Ceiling & Walls

Look out for:

• Signs of water damage on the ceiling.
• Peeling or chipped paint and damaged wallpaper on walls.
• Nail holes and cracks on walls.

Flooring, Carpets and other upholstery

Look out for:

• Stains and damaged fibres on carpeting.
• Scratches and cracks on wood or tiled flooring.
• Torn or damaged curtains.

Windows & Blinds

Look out for:

• Broken blinds and windows.
• Broken window locks.

Doors & Locks

Look out for:

• Proper functionality of doors and locks.
• Damaged door knobs, bells and other fixtures.

Furniture & Mirrors

Look out for:

• Broken furniture.
• Cracked mirrors.

Electricity and Water

Look out for:

• Electrical points that do not work any longer. Check plugs, switches, fans etc.
• Leaky faucets.
• Water outlets that do not work.
• Broken and malfunctioning water systems.
• Clogged pipes.
• Damages to heating and cooling systems.

Household Appliances

Look out for:

• Damages and malfunctioning of any appliances you provided in the house.

Junk

Look out for:

• Garbage and junk left in your home by the tenant.
• Proper functioning of your garbage disposal unit.
• In the unfortunate event that you have to get rid of a lot of junk, worry not; you aren’t on your own! You can always hire a junk removal service to come and clear out all that junk for you!

Garden and Garage

Look out for:

• Proper functioning of your garage locking systems and doors.
• Damages to your lawn.
• Malfunctioning of your garden’s sprinkler system.

Cleanliness

Look out for:

• Grease stains, soiled upholstery, unclean mattresses, and so on. Typically the end of tenancy cleaning is something that the tenant takes on. In case they cannot, or if it is not up to your standards, you should speak with your tenant about it before making deductions.

Tip: In case you or the tenant don’t want to take on the cleaning yourselves, you can hire a professional cleaning service to handle the move-out cleaning for you.

So there you have it, an easy-to-follow guide on getting you through your end of tenancy checks!

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