Unfortunately, there is often little or no record of the condition of the home just prior to the tenant's occupancy. Sometimes an owner will have receipts for work done or they'll say things like "the home was perfect when they moved in". If we're lucky, the owner or previous property manager will provide us with a move-in checklist filled out by the tenant.
A picture is worth a thousand words (video is even better!)
Nothing is as good as pictures or videos documenting the condition of the home both before and after a tenant's occupancy. Which one is more descriptive? A sentence that says "Personal items left in home and carpets not cleaned" or the following picture?
It is Alarca's policy to create videos of every Charlotte rental home before and after a tenant moves. These videos are uploaded to YouTube and links are sent to the homeowner and the tenant. In addition to allowing us an easy way to determine the difference in condition, we have also found that these videos eliminate almost all discussions about how the security deposit has been applied. Here's a sample of one of our move-in condition videos:
Even if you're letting a friend or family member rent your home, do yourself a favor and document the condition of the home with photos or video. This will save you or your future property manager a lot of headaches when your tenant moves out. Also, make sure you get a security deposit (see our blog on rental tips here -
http://alarcarealty.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html).
