It was 7:30, Sunday evening. When else? The tenant from #3 called in a panic…her dishwasher was gushing water, and the flood had already reached the carpet in the dining area. Our on-call handyman advised her to simply reach under the sink and shut off the valve on the left.

She tried, but said that it wouldn’t budge. Well, our handyman jumped into his truck and 15 minutes later the problem was under control. But it had taken some heavy cranking on that valve to shut off the hot water line.

The better cure would have been an ounce of preventative maintenance. This particular event happened a few years ago, and it just served as a reminder to us how important it is to do routine inspections of your units, to avoid problems like this one.

To facilitate these inspections, we send a letter to each tenant, approximately one week in advance. In that letter we encourage the tenant to list any known problems so that we will be certain to see and take note of them while we are there. We simply ask them to leave the list on the kitchen counter on the day we will be there for the inspection.

The inspections may average 15 – 20 minutes per unit, but avoid rushing. You are here to save yourself time and money, in the long run. While in the unit you will be checking all fixtures and appliances, tub caulking and toilet bases, the general condition of paint, flooring, blinds, and ALL shut-off valves, and the smoke alarms. Your inspection will be more efficient if you use a check-list, one page per unit.

An obvious side-benefit of the inspection is that it will give you an opportunity to assess how each tenant is using (or abusing) your investment. It has worked well for us.

Dear Readers: This article is the 252nd in a series based on the lessons we have learned the hard way. The contents of these articles are merely opinions of the writer. They are not intended as specific legal advice and should not be relied upon for that purpose. Our practice is in constant refinement as we adjust the way we operate in an ever- changing market. I appreciate your questions, comments, suggestions, and solutions.

Contact C. Finley Beven, CPM, CCAM, JD. 99 S. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, 91101. Fin.Beven@BevenandBrock.com

www.BevenandBrock.com www.RentBandB.com/Vacancies