For anyone who has moved house, you know that the enormity of what needs to be organised and completed can be stressful – and then add in the fact that someone will be inspecting your home and ‘judging’ your cleanliness, which just adds a whole other level of emotions. No wonder the vacate inspection has the potential to bring out the worst in some people!
So, how can you help manage the vacate process for your clients and ease the stress involved? Communication and managing expectations are key and, leading up to the vacate, there are a few things that you can do to ensure all requirements are clear and the risk of conflict is minimised.
Here are some quick tips to help you value to vacate:
- Educate from the beginning: At the start of the tenancy, educate the in-going tenant of your expectations. Let them know how you expect the property to be looked after throughout the tenancy, stressing the conditions of the lease regarding care of the property. Perhaps a a checklist or even an induction video will help.
- The pre-vacate inspection: Before the tenant moves out, you have the chance to reduce any potential problems that might be present at the property with a pre-vacate inspection. This gives the tenant the chance to fix these before the vacate inspection.
- Extend an invite: If the tenant is present at the inspection, you can avoid the challenge of misinterpretation around any cleaning or damage that may need to be corrected. Of course, the vacate inspection needs to be held at a time that is suitable for you. If the tenant cannot make it at that time, then carry on the inspection without them and then make sure that you call or email the tenant after the inspection to inform them of the result.
- Constant Communication: Keep the tenant updated every step of the way and especially explain the bond refund procedure. In most cases a reasonable person will understand the situation once it has been explained to them.
Throughout the process, don’t forget about communication with the Owner. They may like to come along once the tenant has vacated to take a look at the property and it might be a good opportunity to discuss any potential improvements. Also let them know before you finalise the bond to ensure they are happy to release it and that no nasty surprises are going to crop up that your agency might have to wear the cost of.
Since one of the key points in the vacate process is communication. Don’t be tempted to hide away from communication, as you increase the chance conflict occurring. Be confident, trust your knowledge, keep the lines of communication open and tackle any challenges head on.
For more tips on how you can reduce the stress around the vacate, join the REAL+ team on Wednesday for our live webinar – Creating A Smooth Vacate
