If a tenant doesn’t go to the inspection appointment, the landlord can carry out the inspection alone. The landlord will complete the inspection report and indicate that the tenant was not present. The landlord must give the tenant a copy of the report. In the case of a move-in report, it could be left under the tenant’s door. In the case of a move-out report, it should be mailed to the tenant’s new address.
If the tenant does not agree with anything in either of the reports, they should mark this clearly on the report and give a copy to back to the landlord. If the tenant disagrees with the condition as reflected in the report, then it is a good idea for the tenant to take date-stamped pictures of the property.
It is preferable for the tenant to attend the inspection so they can take part in it, rather than disagreeing about it later. If something comes up at the last minute and the tenant cannot attend, he or she could ask someone else to attend. For example, a friend or parent could act as the tenant’s agent and complete the inspection with the landlord on the tenant’s behalf.
The landlord should give the tenant two opportunities to meet for the inspection by suggesting two different days between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. that are not holidays.
January 2015
