Inspections. (Tips, Tricks, and Howto's).

I noticed we don't seem to have a topic on this.
So I thought I'd start one.

Regards,
Konstantin

inspections? uhh, what kind of inspections?

*confusion*

This thread hasn't received an overwhelming response so far, but this is an important issue, especially for people coming off the streets into rented accommodation. When living in rented accommodation, you will find yourself, from time to time, faced with mandatory inspections of the premises, usually by a property manager from an estate agent. :eek:

There is another thread somewhere, which I was not able to find quickly, about the difficulties faced by people who have been living rough for an extended period. The experiences of people who have provided accommodation for long-term homeless people are not always positive, and include such things as places being trashed because nobody cleaned up, and individuals allowing their street family to move in with them, because street families stick together and share what they have. Either situation, to any degree, in a standard rental property, would result in a very sudden return to the streets for the renter. :(

The person who inspects your rented home will usually be a woman. She will be tastefully dressed in spotless black and white business attire, and will be terribly polite. She will have no idea about any kind of living style apart from that which includes vast expanses of shiny, uncluttered benches, tables and floors, and spotless carpets below well-made beds. :p If this does not sound familiar to you, then this thread could be valuable. This lady will enter your home, whether you like it or not, and snoop into every room. If you choose not to be home, she will enter anyway, using her own key, and leave a calling card on one of your spotless tables. ;)

My point is that this lady will expect your house to be clean and well maintained, and you will find yourself in a certain amount of hot water if she doesn't like, or doesn't understand, what she sees there. :o :eek:

I believe what Konstantin was getting at in this thread was; here is a place to discuss how to look good in the eyes of such a person. :cool: If you don't look good to her, you could lose the accommodation that keeps your life on track, and, as estate agents communicate with each other about the people they deal with, you will have trouble getting another place. :mad:

So -there are the obvious things: no crowd of street friends obviously living with you; no piles of alcohol cans/bottles lying about; make sure the dog doesn't bite her; the place very clean, the rubbish removed, etc. These people are trained to look for signs of "illegal activity", so if she spots a bong, or anything similar, you could be evicted, or she may inform the authorities. You will be required to allow them access to every room, so there is no place to hide any mess or other compromising activity. :confused:

So - in order to look like a desirable tenant, it is necessary, at least to some extent, to learn to see your home through the eyes of the property manager. This is not as easy as it sounds, because they have a very conservative viewpoint, which is often not shared by the people who rent homes from them. It may be especially difficult if you're coming from a situation where you have been homeless. The reward for the effort is that you get to remain in that accommodation, which allows you to deal easily with welfare authorities, look for a job - all those things. :cool: :D

So to repeat Konstantin's original question - does anybody have any tips, tricks, or how-to's? Or does anybody have any experiences to share? ;) :cool:

* If you live in a house (not unit) mow the lawn front and back.
* Take out all the rubbish.
* The only thing in communal space should be communal things, so all personal belongings go in personal rooms.
* Clean the kitchen and bathrooms.
* Agreed with Rose - drug use or excessive drinking should not be evident.
* Open some windows and doors to air the place out and a bit of air freshener goes a long way (on that topic, wash your bed sheets [guys!]).

It's better for you to be there during the inspection. If the time they propose doesn't suit you, call and sort out a time when you can be there for them to do the inspection.

If you pay your rent regularly on time and there is no damage to the property or signs that you may be risky tenants to continue renting to... there should be no problem.

If the place doesn't allow smoking I'd recommend not smoking inside! I'm a smoker and our flat is no-smoking but we smoked inside for the first few weeks thinking we could cover the smell with air freshener.
Believe me, it doesn't cover the smell and deffinately doesn't cover ciggy burns in the carpet

If there are some things that need to be hidden. ie drug implements don't stash them in cupboards because legally your inspector has a right to look in them. Best bet is to have a box or bag that can be closed so that whatever it is can't be seen.

Also appearances are a big deal. Don't have dirty dishes laying around. If you have people crashing at your place get them to stay away from the place for the day. Sometimes your inspector will be "accidently" late or early. So to avoid any mishaps be ready for this.

Also if you give the impression of being sloppy in your attire they will often take as a example of your living condition. Not fair but hey, what is. So wear clean presentable clothes and folks, can't stress this enough be clean and have yourself looking tidy.

Smile and be friendly. They will have a clip board with a checklist of things to inspect. Don't be freaked out by it. Its their job so no matter what they say or do, be polite and answer their questions nicely. You don't have to be completey honest. Just act like it.

Make the beds in the house. Spray some fragrance around. If the place smells good it gives a good impression. This inspector doesn't care about anything but the impression given.