Success as a landlord requires a specific mindset of decision making, organization, problem-solving, and making the most of opportunities.

The one thing that threatens to knock you off your game more than anything else is maintenance. Maintenance requests don’t pick convenient times or dates — they are unpredictable, stressful for the tenant, and can easily create a chaotic environment for you if you take the wrong approach.

True Inspection is please to offer this affordable and extremely valuable service to landlords and homeowners alike. The inspection fee starts at $250 for a single family home in the Niagara areas. For larger buildings and different locations please contact me.

So what is a Landlord Preventative Maintenance Inspection anyway?

During this inspection I will be doing the following:

Each toilet will be flushed and each facet will be operated to look for leaks and clogs.

Bathtub and shower walls will be checked for failed caulking so that you can avoid water and mould problems.

The furnace and filter will be inspected. (Dirty or missing filters will diminish the life of the furnace.)

The water heater will be inspected for leaks and safe operation.

Windows and doors will be checked to ensure they are not broken and reasonably sealed.

For fall inspection we will ensure that the outside water faucets are turned off from inside to prevent frozen pipes.

Each accessible room will be checked with a thermal camera/moisture meter to look for moisture.

The report will include a wide angle picture of each accessible room so that you can see the general condition. (this is extremely valuable and can be compared to previous photos)

Any signs of pests will be reported, such as mouse droppings or bugs.

Batteries in smoke detectors will be changed ( this is the landlord’s responsibility and now you will have it documented by a third party.)

The tenant will be asked to point out any problems that they are concerned about so that I can document these concerns and include them in the report.

What do I tell my tenants?

The Preventative Maintenance Inspection should be framed in a positive light. As a landlord you are doing your best to ensure that the home is in good condition for the tenants enjoyment, while at the same time you are protecting your investment.

Over years of conducting home inspections I have seen countless times where homes are being damaged because tenants are either unaware or don’t care about a leak or other problem that are causing damage to the home. The longer the problem goes unnoticed the greater the repair costs are typicaly!

Preventative Maintenance Inspections reduce your overall expenses and creates a safe environment for your tenant, and it shows your professionalism as a landlord.

Just make sure that you schedule all maintenance visits well in advance and set proper expectations so there are no surprises for the tenant. Also communicate every repair you’ve made to the tenant unit so they’re aware of what’s happening.

In Ontario, the landlord must give the tenant written notice at least 24 hours before the landlord plans to enter. The written notice must include:
The reason why the landlord wants to enter
The date the landlord will enter
A specific time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

It is recommended that the first inspection be a complete home inspection which is much more detailed. Following the home inspection it is recommended to conduct a Preventative Maintenance Inspection in the fall and spring.

True inspection can also customize the inspection to include or exclude items and tasks for your particular circumstances and needs.

True Inspection also offers additional services to landlords such as changing locks, ect.