Don’t be a negligent Landlord/Property Manager and make sure your entry and exit inspection reports are as comprehensive as possible. The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act indicates these reports as essential in compliance with legislative requirements, but they can also be a valuable risk management tool for any disputes that may arise regarding the condition of your property.
Entry Condition Inspection
According to Section 65 of the RTRA Act, once an entry condition report is completed, the tenant should be given a copy of the report on or before the date of their occupancy. The tenant must then return a signed copy of the report within 3 days after they begin occupancy, and if there are any disagreements with the report, the tenant must mark them. If the tenant returns a signed copy, the property manager should make a copy and return it to the tenant within 14 days, while the property manager retains their own copy for at least 1 year after the tenancy ends.
When creating your entry condition report, be thorough and accurate in your description of the property. Indicate whether an item is “clean” or “undamaged” or “working,” along with specific comments about their general condition. Simply reporting that the property was “tidy” will be of little use. Take photographs, send copies to the lessor and keep them on file for future reference.
If any safety issues are identified, the property manager should inform the lessor in writing and ask if they want repairs and maintenance completed prior to the start of their tenancy.
Don’t rely on the same entry inspection report for each tenancy. A dependable property manager should make a report for the start of each new tenancy.
Exit Condition Inspection
An exit condition report is needed to hold up in comparison to the entry condition report. Section 66 of the RTRA Act states that a completed exit condition report should be signed and completed by the tenant and they should give a copy to the property manager when the tenancy ends. The property manager then signs the report, makes a copy and returns the report to the tenant within 3 days of receiving it. If there are disagreements in the report, the property manager must mark these and send a copy to the tenant. The property manager should keep a copy of the report for at least 1 year after the tenancy ends.
