Utah is becoming one of the most popular places to move to in the country. The Beehive State's population grew by around 120,000 residents between 2020 and 2022. The influx of potential renters makes Utah a prime location to own a rental property.
Conducting rental property inspections is essential to protecting your investment. Following the state's rental property inspection laws and best practices is essential to protecting your tenant's right to privacy. This blog will talk about how often you should inspect your rental property and the steps to take before you do so.
What Is Tenant Privacy?
Honoring your tenant's privacy is the main thing you should consider when determining your rental property inspection timeline. Utah has strict laws surrounding tenant privacy. Landlords need to give at least 24 hours' notice to their tenants before conducting an inspection.
In addition to ensuring you comply with state law, giving your tenants advance notice provides both parties with the following benefits:
- Respecting their privacy
- Creating a schedule that works for both of you
How Often Should You Conduct Rental Property Inspections?
Piggybacking off of respecting your tenant's privacy, certain behaviors can be offputting to your tenants. These invasive actions can include:
- Impromptu visits without giving notice in writing
- Going into the unit without your tenant's permission
- Written notices that don't state the date or time of inspection
- Using inspections to harass your tenants
- Performing inspections outside normal working hours
As a landlord, you need to balance rental property inspection laws with being a concerned landlord. There is no set answer to how often you can inspect your property. The three main elements that comprise how frequently you can perform property inspections:
- Tenant privacy
- Landlord professionalism
- The reason behind the inspection
There are a few purposes for performing an inspection. These can include:
- Performing rental property maintenance
- Checking the status of your property
- Addressing tenant concerns
- Move-in or out inspections
- Pest infestations and control
Performing too many inspections can impede your tenant's right to privacy. Setting regular inspection times and sticking to a schedule is important. For example, this can include inspecting the property each year or every six months.
Can Landlords Perform Random Inspections?
Many landlords wonder if they can do drive-by inspections as often as they want to. This can include biking, walking, or driving by.
The main thing to keep in mind with this type of inspection is if it disturbs or harasses your tenants. They might consider it an infringement of their rights if you do this often, especially if you don't have cause to.
However, landlords can't perform random inspections of the property without giving notice. You can't also "pop by" the rental property without cause or in the event of an emergency.
Work With a Professional Property Management Company in Salt Lake
It can be challenging to figure out the right schedule for rental property inspections and what to look for. That's why you should work with a property management company. An experienced property management agency will be well-versed in state laws to ensure your tenants' rights are protected.
Utah Property Solutions is a proud veteran-owned and operated company. Contact our office to book a consultation to learn more about our services.
