Keeping your buildings healthy is key to having happy tenants. Over time, lack of routine inspections can add up to wasted time and money, along with deteriorating assets. Periodic property inspections will help reduce surprise emergencies, frequent equipment breakage, and tenant complaints. 

One way a number of building owners handle proactive maintenance is through regularly scheduled inspections – digitally recorded and tracked with the help of an efficient property maintenance software that handles daily building operations. 

But where do you start? There are so many different types of inspections, from commercial property to apartment unit inspections, from equipment to grounds. Whether it is a single property OR a portfolio of thousands – the best solution is conducting regular standard inspections on your investment(s).

How do you make a plan that covers all important areas without losing valuable time? – and what should they be looking for? 

Implement an automated system which will alert, update, and track progress on inspection check-ins conducted by your employees and 3rd party vendors. This will provide data that can be used to make improvements for the future, and make your building inspections much more efficient.

Step 1: Compile an Inspections List 

Gather information about your properties by going through previous records and talking to your staff members.

Are property managers doing inspections on pen and paper, or are property inspection apps for iPad or smartphones already in use? Create a library of property management inspection templates that your employees can work with every year– whether they are state-required, building-specific, corporate-mandated, etc.

Be specific about what the inspection is for, such as:

Step 2: Capture Information

Have a simple, detailed and customizable method of documentation that can result in making smarter decisions down the line. We recommend a digital property management method!

Why digital? Online property management inspection software or apps allow you to track the frequency and average amount of time it takes to complete each type of inspection you mandate You can also create reports on the results of inspections so you can keep track of next steps – repairs, tenant follow-ups, and more. Make sure each employee is properly trained on the software or app and knows their assigned roles and responsibilities.

Step 3: Perform Regularly

Routine inspections will reduce maintenance costs, ensure quality standards, and provide you with constant insights into the conditions of your properties.

Tracking performance and results by a variety of methods (by employee, by building or by type of repair/task) is digital record keeping that can lead to finding specific answers as to where time, money and resources are needed and wasted the most. For example, if the repair of a leaking faucet is performed differently by all 3 building supers there is a discrepancy in the service provided. If 1 of those faucets is repaired for the 5th time in the past 3 months the actual issue may bigger.

Lack of enforcement can expose your organization to risks such as emergency repairs, tenant complaints, and much more.

Staff members like consistency in their routines so you are likely going to face some resistance. However, you have to sell this to your team by explaining and providing examples of how exactly their work will become easier and more manageable.

Implementing an automated property management system to your routine inspections (i.e. 3 hours every 4th Wednesday) will keep your team up-to-date about the conditions of the properties and provide opportunities to plan for the future. Standardization will make training employees quicker and easier. Employee time and work will become more efficient and enable greater growth. Overall, they will save time, achieve more, and deal with happier tenants.

When you protect the health of your assets by using the right methods for building operations, you can grow as a company today and expand profitably tomorrow.