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Which Is Best: Open For Inspections Or Private Viewings?
Open inspections used to be considered a mandatory part of renting any property, but are now not quite as common as they used to be. In an open inspection, a specific time and date is set for prospective tenants to drop by and walk through the property for a viewing. This event is publicly advertised, so that interested tenants can plan ahead and arrive with questions. The downside to this type of viewing is that it opens up the doors of your property to anyone who wishes to come through without you or your property manager having much idea of who is attending.
Inspections by appointment are becoming more popular than open inspections as tenants can be screened ahead of time to ensure that they are serious and trustworthy. Many property management businesses now have software, such as Inspect Real Estate, which allows a tenant to book an inspection based on their own schedule and the property managers availability. The property manager is then provided with the prospective tenants name, phone number, email address and booking time.
While inspections by appointment are based on a single party registering for an inspection, your property manager may allow other interested parties to register for the same inspection time or choose to cap the amount of people they show through the property for security reasons. If you have a tenant in place already it is important to respect their privacy as well and ensure that the transition of tenants is as smooth as possible.
Key Takeaways:
You should choose an inspection method that best suits your needs. It is important to consider the privacy of your current tenant, the security of your property and safety of your property manager when you decide which method is appropriate.
