{"id":120229,"date":"2019-12-19T14:30:03","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T21:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=120229"},"modified":"2023-03-20T10:52:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T16:52:16","slug":"rental-properties-schedule-walkthrough-twice-per-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rental-properties-schedule-walkthrough-twice-per-year","title":{"rendered":"Landlords: Schedule Semi-Annual Walkthroughs of Tenanted Properties\u2014or You&#8217;ll Be Sorry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?e=BIGPOC3577303248&#038;light=false\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>  \n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve heard it before: \u201cYou need to conduct a walkthrough of your property every six months.\u201d But how many investors actually do that?<\/p>\n<p>It might be simple for an investor who manages his or her own properties and is routinely there for maintenance concerns. But what about out-of-state investors? How do we solve that problem?<\/p>\n<p>Even if you live more than 1,000 miles away from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/04\/how-to-rent-your-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rentals<\/a>, you NEED to figure out a way to see your properties at LEAST twice per year. Here&#8217;s why.<\/p>\n<h2>Why You Should Conduct Periodic Walkthroughs of Your Investment Properties<\/h2>\n<p>In the Army, commanders will do what they call a \u201cmaintenance terrain walk.\u201d Command teams will schedule visits to walk flight lines, hangars, and motor pools to get a general pulse on their organization\u2014a pulse that is not felt from sitting at a desk behind a window.<\/p>\n<p>This terrain walk is important, because it allows them to notice things that may be lacking due to poor resourcing, mismanagement, and sometimes even poor leadership. The command teams will talk to the soldiers and ask them how things are going and if they need anything.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related:<\/em><\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2015-06-12-top-7-laws-landlord-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Top 7 Laws Every Landlord Needs to Study<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although most soldiers will remain tight-lipped, some of the more eager soldiers have no problem telling the command what the real issues are. When the command team is satisfied and feels they have seen enough, they will go back and process what they\u2019ve seen before having a talk with subordinate commanders to address some of the issues.<\/p>\n<p>Some people refer to this as the \u201cdog and pony show,\u201d because it often comes with a lot of showiness and fabricated morale. But in reality, it\u2019s a necessary check and balance for the organization.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-120674\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/overgrown-yard.jpg\" alt=\"Front vew of unmowed lawn of an abandoned foreclosed Cape Cod style house in suburban Maryland, USA.\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/overgrown-yard.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/overgrown-yard-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>How to Conduct Walkthroughs of Tenanted Rental Properties<\/h2>\n<p>I recently scheduled a walkthrough of the properties in our portfolio. It had been almost a year since I had been in\u2014or even seen\u2014them, as we invest out of state. With much apprehension, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/27\/tenant-screening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tenant<\/a> finally agreed to let us conduct a walkthrough of the property at the requested time\u2014seemingly hiding something.<\/p>\n<p>(Important note: I HIGHLY recommend scheduling this visit WITH the property manager. Don\u2019t do this by yourself if you aren\u2019t the manager. Tenants can corner you into doing or agreeing to things that may not be in your best interest without the property manager. After all, you want your manager to know the same things you do about the property, so make sure they are with you.)<\/p>\n<p>We didn\u2019t mention anything about me being an owner. We simply stated who we were, why we were there, and what we were doing. We entered the house and immediately smelled cigarette smoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust a friendly reminder because we want you to get your security deposit back: you can\u2019t smoke in the house. Period. The owner would have a HUGE fit if they saw this. We won\u2019t say anything to them this time, but consider this a warning and make sure that smell is gone next time we come. Otherwise, we will have to charge you,\u201d said the manager.<\/p>\n<p>He shot me a quick glance, implying, \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I smiled and turned to continue my search. The tenant graciously apologized and was grateful that we were letting her off with a warning without telling the owner. She proceeded to tell us more about the home and what needed to get fixed.<\/p>\n<p>We had earned her trust, and she opened up like a book: \u201cThe toilet has been a little leaky, too, and this door doesn\u2019t shut all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I quickly acknowledged the toilet problem. On this particular property, I pay the water for the tenants. This water leak had been going on for a few months and had spiked the water bill by an extra $30 to $50 per month! The timing aligned itself with the move-in of a different tenant, so naturally it didn\u2019t raise any red flags.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will have someone over tomorrow to fix that,\u201d I said, as I wrote it down in my notebook.<\/p>\n<p>The next issue we checked was the door. The entire door jamb had started to rot out in the year that I had been gone. How on EARTH does that happen? I didn&#8217;t know, but I knew it needed attention.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-120675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/doorframe-repair.jpg\" alt=\"Hand of builder with hammer inserting door frame to aperture in unfinished apartment.\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/doorframe-repair.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/doorframe-repair-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I looked at my manager and said, \u201cDid you know about this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related:<\/em><\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/must-do-rental-maintenance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10 Must-Do Maintenance Tasks to Keep Your Rental Property Issue-Free<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe never mentioned the rotting. She mentioned that the door was a bit drafty, so our maintenance tech put thicker weather strips on it,&#8221; he replied.<\/p>\n<p>That was just one of the homes that we checked that day. As our morning progressed through town, we noted a few more items that needed repair, some sloppy contractor work that needed to be addressed, and some overdue landscaping work that needed attention.<\/p>\n<p>All in all, the walkthroughs saved us hundreds of dollars and helped establish good rapport with the tenants. One even told us that they\u2019ve never had a walkthrough done before, and it seemed like the owners must really care about their home. (Yeah, I blushed a little.)<\/p>\n<p>It was a morning well spent and an adventure we will continue as the months progress.<\/p>\n<h2>The Bottom Line: Walkthroughs Are Invaluable<\/h2>\n<p>A walkthrough of your property is INVALUABLE to you as an investor. You are the command team, and you need to get that pulse on your organization. A wise old investor once told me that, \u201cNobody cares about your property as much as you do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was right. You need to get out and \u201cinspect what you expect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s too easy in today\u2019s world to not do this, and out-of-staters have zero excuse. FaceTime and other video platforms allow managers to keep investors in the loop on how things are going and what the true situation looks like in real-time.<\/p>\n<p>The worst properties are the ones that are essentially forgotten about by their owners.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/store\/managing-rental-properties-ultimate\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-94637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/manage-rental-property-book-ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"130\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/manage-rental-property-book-ad.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/manage-rental-property-book-ad-300x49.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/manage-rental-property-book-ad-768x125.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Do you think walkthroughs are a good idea? Why or why not?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Share your opinion in the comment section.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve heard it before: \u201cYou need to conduct a walkthrough of your property every six months.\u201d But how many investors actually do that? Even if you live more than 1,000 miles away from your rentals, you need to figure out a way to see your properties twice per year\u2014at the very least. Here&#8217;s why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158289,"featured_media":120676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landlording"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158289"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}