Photo by Innova Property

How often do you inspect the properties in your HMO portfolio? Every year I’m reminded of the value of inspections, or as I prefer to call it… property health checks. If you’re investing in HMOs, then you absolutely need to make sure you’re doing this.

If you get into a routine of regularly checking on your properties and keeping them in good health, you’ll maximise what you can get out of them over the long term! But if you let your properties get unhealthy, it can cost you a huge amount… 

Setting up an online form or template is key to helping you undertake property health checks because there are quite a few things you need to think about. And it’s easy to get distracted once you get to your properties.

So, read below or listen to the full episode on The HMO Podcast to learn about: 

• The importance of property health checks
• How frequently you should do these checks
• What you should be checking and assessing

How Often Should You Undertake Property Health Checks?

As a HMO landlord, you should be doing property health checks every quarter as a bare minimum, but ideally, you’ll undertake them every month. That may sound like a lot of work, particularly if you have a large portfolio. It’s definitely going to take some time and effort to engineer. 

But if you do them regularly, you’ll find that when you’re going into your properties, you’re spending much less time there, because there are much fewer problems that you have to identify and then deal with!

Why Should You Undertake These Checks? 

Getting into your HMO properties and doing health checks regularly will save you time and money over the long run. You’ll be able to identify issues sooner, which will stop them from getting worse. And this means you’ll be able to make your HMO business much more profitable!

Additionally, you’ll find that your tenants are happier. If your tenants are happy with you and the condition of the property, they’re more likely to stay for longer. They also may be more tolerant if you have to put the rent up, like so many of us have had to do recently.

As a HMO landlord, you also have obligations from a health and safety point of view to ensure things like the fire escape are clear. And if you look at the fine print, your insurance provider will insist that you’re doing inspections too. 

Keep in mind as part of your licence conditions and being a property manager if you’re self-managing your HMOs, you need to abide by some terms and conditions when it comes to actually getting into your properties. 

What Should You Be Checking during Property Health Checks?

The checks you need to make can be broken down into three areas: external, internal, and general checks that you need to be doing as a HMO investor. Here we’ll cover seven in each category!

External Checks

1. Roof

When it comes to roofs, we often wait until we have a problem to fix it, but that can be really costly. So, get the best possible look at the roof to see what the general condition is. Look for ridged tiles and slip tiles and check the flashing. Is there anything that looks like it needs some attention? 

But don’t get up on the roofs to do this. Instead, head to the back of the garden and go across the road to try to get a line of sight on the roof. If you can get a hold of a drone, use that to get photos for a better view of the roof’s condition. 

2. Chimney Stacks

The second thing to check is the chimney stacks. The flashing and pointing can often become issues and let water in. So, at the same time that you’re looking at a property’s roof, check the chimney stacks as well.

3. Guttering and Downpipes

Damaged guttering and downpipes can allow dampness to find way into your property very quickly. Check these visually, and ideally, you want to see how these are functioning when it’s raining. So, make sure you’re occasionally doing your property health checks in bad weather.

4. External Timbers

Another thing to check is the condition of the external timbers, including the fascia boarding. These can gradually rot. We often don’t pay much attention to this as it’s not something that our tenants are necessarily looking at, but rot in fascia boarding can come away from the wall, pull the guttering down, and let water in behind it. 

5. Pointing, Render, and Masonry

Check the condition of the pointing, render, and masonry of not just the property itself but boundary walls as well. In wet weather, water can get driven back up through the wall and cause cracks in the pointing, and that can become a major issue. And as soon as there are cracks in the render or the pointing, cold weather can cause problems too.

6. Windows and Doors

Additionally, check the condition of the windows and doors from the exterior. Can you see any issues from the outside?

7. Drains

This is another one of those areas that’s better to assess in wet weather. Make sure the drains aren’t backing up. Can you see any debris around the drains? Do the drains smell? Drain problems can be a huge issue as they can be very expensive and quite messy problems! 

Internal Checks

1. General Cleanliness

When you’re in your properties, look at the general behaviour of tenants, including signs that they’re looking after the property. You can usually get a good indication of how your property is being treated depending on the general cleanliness. 

Are tenants hoovering the floors, washing the dishes, leaving food on the worktops, wiping condensation away, or letting mould form? If you’re finding that the general standard of cleanliness isn’t up to scratch, give that feedback to your tenants.

2. Windows and Doors

Don’t only check the windows and doors visually – actually test them. Do the locking mechanisms and hinges work? Do the hinges need oiling? Are any of the handles loose? Is there anything that needs to be fixed?

3. Damp

You can do a visual check when it comes to damping, but I recommend getting a damp meter to help give you feedback quickly on the general condition of the walls. It can be so valuable to spot and identify potential dampness before it really becomes an issue and starts to cause damage and smell!

4. Sealant around Baths, Sinks, and Worktops

Check for any cracks or gaps in the sealant around baths, sinks, and worktops. Are there any issues or areas where water could be escaping from? 

Is mould building up? Once mould starts to build up on the sealant, it can be very difficult to clean. If you’re seeing mould, give that feedback to your tenants and make sure that they’re using the right products like Dettol, bleach, or anti-mould spray.

5. Water Outlets and Inlets

Most of the time any issues with water in our HMOs come in the form of a leak, either through some sort of water inlet, outlet, or waste trap. So, check all of these on your property. 

Can you feel anything wet or see any evidence of dripping on the floor? Are the shower waste traps being cleared out? Is there a slow drip on the back of a tap or an isolator valve? These little things can all become much more serious issues. 

6. Basement

It can be easy to forget about inspecting basements if you have them in your properties. So, even though it’s space tenants aren’t typically using much, make sure you go down there for a visual check to ensure everything’s okay.

7. Furniture

When checking the condition of furniture, look for anything that’s loose, such as headboards or chair legs. Allen keys or screwdrivers can help solve most issues with loose furniture, so bring these with you when undertaking property health checks. 

One of the really frustrating things is when a piece of furniture comes loose or a bolt or screw comes away and gets lost. All of a sudden, you actually cannot re-secure it, and then you may have to buy a new piece of furniture because you can’t find that exact piece you need! 

General Checks for HMOs

1. Manager’s Details & Emergency Information

Check the manager’s details and emergency information are present on the notice board. It’s part of your licence conditions that your manager’s details are visible. But also make it easy for tenants to know what to do and who to contact in the event of a fire, leak, gas, or electricity issue or emergency. 

2. Fire Detection System & Emergency Lighting

Undertake a test on the fire detection system and record this. Also, do a visual inspection on any emergency lighting. Can you see that that emergency light is in working order? 

3. Fire Blankets

Make sure the fire blanket is in the kitchen where it should be. It can sometimes end up shoved in the back of a cupboard, but then when someone needs it, they have no idea where it is. So, make sure it’s in the right place, and if it’s gone missing, replace it.

4. Fire Escape

You have an obligation from a health and safety point of view that you’re checking that the fire escape routes are clear. Sometimes tenants disregard this and leave recycling, bicycles, or luggage in the hallways, so if the fire escape isn’t clear, get your tenants to move these items.

5. PAT Inspection & Electrical Safety Test

Do a visual Portable Appliance Tests (PAT) inspection and electrical safety test. Check if appliances that plug into an outlet, such as the microwave, are okay. Look at wiring, sockets, and switches, in addition to the lighting or lamps that you’ve provided. Have any of these cracked, come away from the wall, or aren’t working? 

While Electrical Installation and Condition Reports are only required every five years, you still must be doing these kinds of checks before moving new tenants in. And if you find an issue, give it to your electrician straight away or replace the appliance.

6. Carbon Monoxide Detector

Check the carbon monoxide detector is present where it should be and that it’s in working order. And if it isn’t working correctly or is missing, we make sure it’s replaced within 24 hours.

7. Boiler Pressure

Check if the boiler pressure needs topping up in your properties. If it does, do that right there and then, particularly leading into the winter months. If the pressure gets too low, the heating won’t work and it can damage your boiler. 

These are the checks I make sure to do on my HMOs when undertaking property health checks! But this is not an exhaustive list. There are other things you should consider and check, but this list can help you build a solid foundation of what you should be doing during property health checks for your HMO portfolio. 

If you want further guidance on property health checks, join our Facebook Group The HMO Community and start a conversation about this. And if you’d like to take your HMO portfolio to the next level, become a member of The HMO Roadmap! We’ll be adding a property health checklist soon, so you’ll be able to access a template you can use in your own business.

About the Author:

Andy Graham is the founder and the lead trainer at The HMO Roadmap! He is also the co-founder of The HMO Mastermind and Smart Property, a specialist HMO property investment and management company. He writes as a regular columnist in different magazines about a variety of HMO topics and is the host of The HMO Podcast! Follow Andy on Instagram!