is it legal for a letting agent inspect the home you are renting to come in every three months to inspect it .

Question

as long as the rent is paid on time and all checks are made on you before you move in why do renters have to put up with this there is no privicy

Answer 1

When you rented the property they should have explained the terms and conditions and you should have signed a contract.
RSL(Registered Social Landlords) Have policy guidance which protects the landlord and the tenant

It is legal to inspect, as long as they give reasonable notice. (you will have to define reasonable with the agent)

Ask if the appointment can be made by letter or Phone, If the appointment is inconvenient for you, ask to rearrange the appointment. When they have finished the inspection ask for a copy of any reports they make.

Answer 2

One thing I noticed that didn't get mentioned, do you live in income based apartments? If so, the landlord (who usually has a boss of their own that owns many more complexes in your area) is told to inspect the units by the government. This includes, heater filters, spring inspections, government inspections, etc. Because it is income based, the landlord is supposed to make sure every unit is in proper working order and up to government standards.

However, what kind of agent is this that is visiting? Is it maintainance from your apartment or is it an outside source? Some do have inspections due to insurance costs... try being a landlord yourself and kick someone out, sometimes they will trash the place.

There is one thing though, there are different types of inspections that can and can't enter your apartment, you should check your agreement to make sure of this. If you are talking about government or landlords doing the inspections, then they probably have a clause stating that they can enter your unit whether you are there or not, provided they give proper notice. Outside sources that are not government related do have to wait until you are home, but that also depends on the situation as well... like if they believe you have drugs.

I concur with the others, re-read your agreement and ask your landlord to clarify. DOn't be shy, ask questions, it will save you and him/her a headache later.

Answer 3

If it is part of the rental contract you signed, or a conditions statement you were given with the contract, yes. Otherwise, inspections that often can be construed as harassment. That being said, any inspection that is not an emergency has to be made in advance by appointment, and the frequency that can be allowed may be governed by local law, either state or city.

One reason more landlords may be putting it in rental agreements is insurance protection. If you were to run a grow-op for instance, and there was $100,000 worth of structural damage done by the time you moved out, it would not be covered by his insurance on the building. It is one of the exclusions being added to insurance contracts. Regular inspections do protect landlords, in some cases at least, from such problems.

Answer 4

How often a landlord can inspect the property depends on two factors: 1. What bad incident your landlord has had in the past with other tenants on his property/properties. 2. How he views you as a tenant - responsible or not. Usually if your landlord would have found evidence of your not maintaining his property well, he will visit you monthly. After all it is his property and he does not want to come down in six month's time to find all his precious carpets full of dog and cat poo, his kitchen smelling full of bird poo and the worktops full of cigarette burns and stains, the toilet jammed with newspapers, because the tenant was not able to afford toilet paper and the bathroom so full of mould that it has to be gutted and completely renewed. It all depends on whether the landlord regards you as a clean, responsible tenant or not. But a monthly visit is quite normal in a lot of cases nowadays because there are many difficult tenants now.

Answer 5

yes it is.. all they have to do is give notice of the inspection as required by law... if you read your lease or let agreement you will find that it is listed in it as part of the agreement.

the land lord has the right to make sure you keep the property in the condition and order you rented it in. they also have the right to be sure you do not alter anything with out express permission to do so from the landlord/ owner/agent..

all you need do is keep the place nice and let the inspector in for a short time every time the schedule visit occurs, then its done

they also want to create a history of you in regards to you rental standards and compliance with your agreement, especially if you are a new tenant

Answer 6

Yes they can, agreement or not - but they must make appointment with reasonable notice and legally cannot enter without you or your representative being there. All that assumes that you are up to date with your rent.

Remember if they inspection reveals nothing wrong keep acopy of it and the date - it protects your deposit.

Too many unscrupulous landlords unreasonably keep the deposit when you leave by saying that the property was not looked after.

Answer 7

Remember, the Agent is retained by the Owner of the property and paid for seeing that the flat/house is kept in good order.
Unannounced visits are not allowed, under the terms of a normal Lease Agreement.
Treating your 'let' as something you yourself value will make you appreciate your own assets later in your life.

Answer 8

I understand your feelings, BUT, first the agreement is made prior to renting,isn't it? some friends of mine, went to America for two years and let their property out, the agents, thank God, inspected the premises after three months, and found the place had been trashed, they, THE AGENTS, had been given good references, but it still didn't stop, the occupiers, from ruining this lovely home.

Answer 9

It is probable that the right to inspect is a term of the contract. Read it and see. However I think that an appointment is appropriate.There are plenty of tenants about who trash their rented homes and don't pay the rent. It is unfortunate that you can't tell who they are just by looking at their faces.

Answer 10

Yes if it is in your contract of lease, Check your lease. The reason that they do these inspections is that they are checking to see that there is no major damage being done to the property. As they are responsible to the owner of the property to keep it what is called Good Repair.