One thing landlords do on a periodic basis is Apartment Inspections. Many times, tenants, especially first-time renters, get really stressed out about these inspections and are worried about what their landlord is really looking for.
Apartment inspections are primarily done so the landlord can check for any physical damage to the property.
This is the primary function of an apartment inspection. The apartment building you live in is the landlord’s property and investment. They need to do their due diligence on their property from time to time to make sure everything is in order, and there is no property damage done by the tenant.
Just like someone would check their stocks on their phone or computer to see how they are doing, your landlord is going to come to check his investment in your apartment from time to time.
When Do Apartments Do Inspections?
There are two times when your landlord is going to perform an inspection of your apartment.
First, they are going to do inspections on a periodic basis. I have written about how often you should expect your landlord to do inspections of your property, and the answer is 1-2 times per year.
Some apartment complexes do it more often than that, and these are usually very large, corporate-owned complexes with fairly strict rules about most everything. Typically, landlords of small to medium-sized complexes are going to do a basic walkthrough once, MAYBE twice per year.
It takes a ton of time and effort for the manager or landlord to walk through potentially hundreds of apartment units, schedule the time, and then document anything that they see inside the unit.
Most often, landlords will pair the walkthrough of their apartments at the same time they bring new filters around for the furnaces and batteries for the smoke detectors. This way, they can kill two birds with one stone.
If you are a new renter and are worried about your landlord turning into your mom and coming and inspecting every little thing you do and how you live…..ease your mind. Unless you give them a really good reason to come over, they won’t, and your yearly inspection will be a piece of cake.
However…
The second time a landlord is going to inspect your apartment is if they have reason to believe there is damage being done to the apartment.
Your fellow neighbors are going to call the manager if they smell someone smoking in the apartment, or any foul odor for that matter. If it is strong enough to affect them, they are going to say something about it. They will also call if they think there was actual damage being done to the apartment and they could hear it through the walls.
In these cases, which actually happens more than you think, the landlord or manager is going to send a notice out to the apartment giving them a 24-hour notice that they are going to be stopping by to do an inspection on the apartment. They MUST give you the 24-hour notice before coming over, but once they do that, you cannot unreasonably deny them entry to the apartment.
The landlord has the right to do this as many times as they think is necessary to protect the viability of the unit. But again, remember that if you don’t give them any reason to come over and walk through your place, they aren’t going to. They just have better things to do with their time besides being your mom.
Finally, the reason that we say 1-2 times a year is normal for inspections is just for that reason. Virtually ALL landlords have better things to do with their time than needlessly spy on their tenants without reason. But if you are getting more than 2 “random” inspections per year, and you legitimately are not doing anything to deserve this, then you may want to look at moving someplace else.
What Do They Look For In An Apartment Inspection?
So, what are landlords really looking for when they do their inspections?
Regardless of what you might think, they are NOT going through your apartment like an RA going through a college dorm looking for contraband. They are simply coming over to make sure their property is undamaged and being taken care of.
Now, if you DO happen to have a stash or something you maybe want to keep private, then you don’t want those things sitting out on your coffee table when the come in the front door. While they are not going to go sifting through your dresser and browsing through your closets, if you have something that may get you in trouble legally, they can not only evict you, they can report you to the police.
What landlords are looking for are things that are causing damage to their apartment that is above and beyond normal wear and tear that comes with normal use. Things such as:
- Abnormal carpet stains and tears.
- Holes in the walls.
- Smoke Smell
- Mold
- Cleanliness Issues
- Pests
- Animals (If not permitted on the lease)
- Water damage in the kitchen or bathroom.
- Appliances that are broken that they furnished.
- People living in your apartment that aren’t on the lease.
If you have any of these things in your apartment, rest assured that your landlord IS going to say something about it. You can simply be asked to rectify the situation, be given a written warning, or simply be asked to leave. Remember as well, that if you have broken the terms of the lease by doing something that isn’t allowed by the apartment complex, you will still be responsible for all the payments for the remainder of your lease.
Keep that in mind the next time you think about smoking in your apartment or trying to sneak a pet in. Those are small decisions that could end up costing you literally thousands of dollars.
How Do I Prepare For A Landlord Inspection?
If you know you have something that your landlord is not going to like, the best thing to do is fix it before they come over and do the inspection.
Whether that means fixing holes in the walls, cleaning up your apartment, or kicking out your brother who has been staying on the couch, do what you need to do to stay within the terms of the lease. It is YOU that is responsible for the lease and the payments. And while you may not think having your brother on your couch for a month is a big deal, your landlord may think otherwise.
Make sure you have a clean, well-taken care of apartment that isn’t violating any of the terms of the lease you signed, and the inspection will be short and sweet.
Additionally, if you always are having good inspections, this is going to help you at the end of your lease to get your security deposit back. Your landlord is going to remember that you were a tenant that always took good care of the property and didn’t abuse anything in the apartment.
Can My Landlord Evict Me For Being Messy?
One key thing that is worth bringing up is the issue of cleanliness.
Often times, we have seen apartments get so messy that they literally become health hazards. The common perception is that this only happens in low-income apartment complexes, but the truth of the matter is that it can happen anywhere.
Most times, the cleanliness issue is related to a psychological issue with hoarding and attachment issues, as anyone who has ever seen the show “Hoarders” can attest to. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter it, unfortunately, can happen to anyone.
The times I have been called and been forced to do something as owner and landlord is only after neighbors complained repeatedly about a rank smell coming from a particular apartment.
On inspection, the apartment was absolute filth. Not only had it not been taken care of, but there were also pests and sometimes mold growing in places that I don’t even want to mention. There were things on the walls that were also severely unpleasant and some things which I will have nightmares for years to come simply because I witnessed it first-hand.
But landlords aren’t going to evict you simply because your apartment is messy. It has to be messy AND a hazard. There is a distinct difference there, but one that is easily identifiable.
A landlord CAN evict you for being messy once the cleanliness issue turns into a health hazard. And when the health hazard is reaching other people’s sniffers, then it becomes a problem the landlord must deal with for the safety of the other tenants in the building. It’s not something anyone likes to do, but it has to be done.
Make sure you keep your apartment at least at a minimum cleanliness level.
Everyone has a different idea of what is acceptable or not, and that’s ok. The only bar you really need to set for yourself if one that is keeping your apartment from being a health hazard to you or other people, and free from pests and mold. You do this, and nobody is going to care how many times a month you vacuum. (Although doing this before the landlord comes over for the inspection is going to help!)
When landlords do inspections, they are looking for things that are potentially damaging to their property. Things such as the apartment smelling like smoke, disallowed animals, people staying at the complex that aren’t on the lease, holes in the walls, or tears in the carpets.
