Inspections in Seattle

Our Process

How we handle inspections

1. 1

   New management inspections

   Every property we onboard receives a new-management inspection — occupied or vacant — to document conditions the moment we begin service. We locate and photograph the water main, sewer cleanout, electrical panel, and other critical access points; pull model and serial numbers for every appliance; and flag any items that need attention. Sometimes that's something simple like a missing furnace filter or an out-of-date smoke detector; sometimes it surfaces larger issues that need addressing before anything else. This inspection is informational only — no tenant signature required — and is uploaded to your owner portal for reference.

2. 2

   Move-in inspections

   Before a tenant takes possession, we complete a move-in condition report — the most detailed report we produce. Every wall, every outlet, every appliance gets documented with high-resolution photos, written notes, and date/time/location metadata. This document becomes the baseline for every future maintenance discussion and every security deposit determination. If a tenant later submits a work order, we compare it against the move-in report to ensure the right party is charged. All parties sign at move-in, and the tenant receives an immediate copy through their portal. When it comes to owner protection, a thorough move-in report is the single highest-leverage document we produce.

3. 3

   Lease renewal & pre-move-out inspections

   Before any lease renewal goes out, our team performs a renewal inspection. We verify the property is being properly maintained, check for any health or safety items that need attention, and give the tenant a face-to-face opportunity to raise concerns. The result is an informed decision on whether to extend the tenancy and at what terms. If the tenant won't be renewing, we treat the same visit as a pre-move-out inspection — documenting what unit-turn work will be needed so we can schedule vendors in advance and dramatically reduce vacancy days between tenancies.

4. 4

   Lease violation inspections

   When a complaint comes in or a lease violation is issued, we schedule (or post notice for) a property inspection. This is one of the most commonly skipped inspections in our industry — and one of the most valuable. It accomplishes two things: confirms the property is being maintained and surfaces anything that's gone unreported, and creates a face-to-face conversation with the tenant about the violation and how to get back on track. Proactive engagement at this stage typically resolves the underlying issue without escalation.

5. 5

   Move-out inspections

   Once we have possession back, we perform a move-out condition report following the same methodology as move-in. This is where the upfront documentation pays off — the move-out report is compared line-by-line and photo-by-photo against the move-in report to determine what (if any) charges apply to the tenant's security deposit. In an ideal world, every deposit returns in full. In practice, cleaning is the single most common deposit charge, so when a tenant gives notice we send them our move-out cleaning checklist through their portal to help maximize what they get back. With material and cleaning costs climbing, thorough documentation has never mattered more.

6. 6

   Owner-requested inspections

   Outside of our standard inspection cadence, owners can request additional inspections at a flat $45 fee plus $10 per additional door (duplexes, triplexes, etc.). We don't recommend inspections more frequently than quarterly — Washington and most states protect the tenant's right of quiet enjoyment, and over-inspection can create unnecessary friction. In practice our standard cadence handles nearly every owner's needs, and these custom requests are rare.