Property Maintenance Inspection Checklist

Most states require 24-48 hours written notice before non-emergency entry to an occupied unit. Send via the method specified in the lease (email, posted on door, or text where the lease permits) and log the notice in the tenant file. Skipping this is a common warranty-of-habitability counterclaim during disputes.

Pull the last inspection from AppFolio, Buildium, or Yardi and any open work-order tickets. Carry forward unresolved items so they get re-inspected, not silently closed.

Look for peeling paint, rotted trim, soft fascia, and siding gaps where pests enter. On pre-1978 buildings, peeling exterior paint is a lead-paint hazard under EPA RRP rules and triggers a certified contractor for any disturbance over 6 sq ft.

From the ground or with a drone — do not access the roof without fall protection. Note missing shingles, sagging gutters, downspouts dumping at the foundation, and overhanging branches. Gutter overflow is the cheapest source of basement water intrusion to fix.

Trip hazards on walkways, grade sloping toward the foundation, dead trees within fall radius of the structure, and overgrown vegetation against siding. Trip-and-fall claims on managed walkways are a top-3 GL exposure.

Walk the entries, parking, and common paths after dusk if possible. Burned-out exterior lighting is a premises-liability multiplier in any after-dark incident.

Look for water staining on ceilings (active vs old — touch and look at edges), drywall cracks, soft spots in flooring, and any mold-suspect discoloration. In states with mold disclosure laws (CA, TX, FL among others), photograph and document any visible growth for the disclosure record.

Press TEST then RESET on every GFCI within 6 ft of a sink or in any wet location. NEC requires functioning GFCI protection at these locations; a tripped or failed GFCI on the file becomes a habitability defense if the tenant ever has an electrical incident.

Run every faucet, flush every toilet, and feel under each sink trap with a paper towel. Slow leaks under cabinets are the most-missed item on routine inspections and turn into $3,000 cabinet-and-flooring jobs over a few months.

Replace the filter, run a heat cycle and a cool cycle, and listen for compressor short-cycling. Note the filter size on the work order so the next inspection arrives with the right filter on the truck.

Press the test button on every smoke and CO detector, replace batteries, and log the test date and unit serial number. Most states require working detectors at every turnover and many require annual verification; a missing or dead detector is both a fine and a habitability defense in any fire or CO incident.

Look for droppings, gnaw marks at baseboards, roach activity in kitchen cabinets and behind appliances, and bedbug evidence at mattress seams (in furnished or recently-vacated units). NYC and several other jurisdictions require bedbug history disclosure at lease — surface findings now, not at lease execution.

Refrigerator should hold 35-40°F and freezer 0°F or below. Pull the unit and vacuum the condenser coils — clogged coils are the #1 cause of premature compressor failure on rental refrigerators.

Run a full cycle and inspect the floor under the dishwasher with a flashlight. Slow dishwasher leaks rot the subfloor under the kitchen and are usually only caught when the floor flexes underfoot.

Repair vs. replace decision drives owner-statement tax treatment: a $400 disposal swap is a deductible repair, but replacing all unit appliances at once is a capital improvement that depreciates. Categorize correctly on the work order so year-end 1099/owner statements don't need rework.

Every exterior door deadbolt, every window latch, and any sliding-door pin lock. A non-locking window on the file is a habitability claim and a burglary-liability multiplier.

Check that common-area cameras are actually recording and retention matches the firm policy (typically 30 days). State two-party-consent rules apply — never place cameras inside units or in locations with reasonable expectation of privacy.

Create one work order per issue in AppFolio, Buildium, or Yardi with the priority set by habitability impact: emergency (no heat, active leak, no detector), urgent (appliance down, lock broken), routine (cosmetic). Verify the assigned vendor's COI is current — a lapsed COI on the file leaves the manager personally exposed for any vendor accident on premises.

Re-inspect emergency and urgent items within 30 days of vendor completion. Closing a work order without verifying the fix is the most common reason the same item appears on the next quarterly inspection.

The property manager signs off and files the report in the property folder for the retention window (typically 3-7 years). Habitability findings, detector test logs, and dated photos are the documentation that defends the firm in any subsequent dispute.

If the inspection surfaced a habitability-grade defect (no heat, active leak, no working detector, structural concern), notify the owner same-day with the photo and proposed scope. Habitability items can't wait for the monthly owner statement — the warranty-of-habitability clock starts when the manager has notice.