In LA, managing rentals means dealing with legal requirements for inspections. It's important to regularly check your property to ensure tenants are complying with the lease agreement and if there are needed repairs.
But, you must follow local laws and best practices. This article shows how often landlords in LA should do rental property inspections.
Housing Department Rental Property Inspection Timeline
If you're a landlord in LA with a multi-unit property, there's a mandatory registration policy. Rental property inspection laws say you need to register with the LA Housing Department and let them do regular inspections of your rental units. This is to check if you're following local housing codes, like the rent stabilization ordinance.
The LA Housing Department also does inspections through the systematic code enforcement program. They'll inspect tier-one properties every four years and tier-two properties every two years. Tier one properties usually have fewer code violations and are seen as low-risk, so they're inspected less often.
On the other hand, tier-two properties have more code violations related to building and safety standards. They're considered high-risk and get inspected more often. The housing department might also do inspections based on urgent or non-urgent complaints, like potential health and safety concerns.
Always make sure you're registered with the LA Housing Department. Not following their inspection rules could lead to big financial and legal problems for you.
California Rental Property Inspections
As a landlord in California, you can do routine inspections on your rental properties. There's no set limit on how often, but they shouldn't be unreasonably frequent. What's unreasonable varies case-by-case, so make sure your inspections are considered reasonable. If in doubt, get legal advice from a professional.
Before inspecting a property, give sufficient notice to your tenant. This notice is needed for various inspections, like move-in, move-out, and annual property checks. Keep in mind that certain circumstances can affect inspection guidelines. For example, during the COVID-19 lockdown in Los Angeles, specific rules required social distancing measures.
Inspection Guidelines
Inspect the property when tenants move in or out, and once or twice a year. This ensures proper maintenance and prevents costly repairs. Tenants may not report or recognize issues, so regular checkups are important.
Inspections also ensure compliance with rental agreements, like pet restrictions. However, respect tenants' rights to enjoy their homes.
Keep inspections infrequent and respectful to maintain a good landlord-tenant relationship. This encourages tenants to report any issues they come across.
Get Help With Your Landlord Duties
As a landlord in Los Angeles, rental property inspections need a balance between legal obligations and property maintenance. You also need to respect your tenant's right to enjoy the property. Usually, you'll inspect your property when the tenant moves in, moves out, and once or twice a year. The housing department may also inspect, depending on your property's tier.
Rental inspections can be time-consuming, so outsourcing to a professional company makes sense. PMI Los Angeles has over 20 years of experience working with landlords. If you need a reliable organization for property inspections, contact us today. We'll explain how we can streamline your inspection system.
