Why Do All This?

Digital equipment to photograph the unit as you go through this process is also an excellent idea. A picture may be worth a thousand words!

One has to ask the question - why do all this?? Colorado law provides for treble damages for the tenant if a landlord/manager wrongfully withholds security deposit funds.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550 which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.

Pay Attention To Detail

When you are doing the property condition report prior to new tenant move in it is important to pay attention to details. Besides the condition of the walls and floor covering; list doors, windows, window coverings, screens, electrical fixtures and sockets. In the kitchen you must add refrigerator, stove, garbage disposal, dishwasher, cabinets and counters. Special notice should be made of any broken parts in the refrigerator or stove (i.e., oven racks, crisper and butter doors). These items are difficult and expensive to replace. In a three bedroom house, this process can take an hour. The yellow copy of the report is given to the tenants. Even with careful attention to details, it is still possible to overlook things. I allow tenants up to two weeks after move in to add to the list.


Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550 which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.

Write Actual Condition

When doing the property condition report prior to new tenant move in it is critical to clearly write the actual condition. You may use categories such as "excellent, good, fair or poor." In the case of new paint or carpet you should indicate that it is new. On the other hand, if the paint or carpet is poor, write that on the report.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com

Property Condition Report

This report is a critical element in the rental process. The report itself may be hand written or digitally photographed. The written has a check list for each room in the unit. At the top of each page (mine is two pages on NCR paper) it indicates check-in and check-out condition as well as a section for comments.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.

Property Condition & New Tenant Move-In

You have successfully located, screened and signed a lease with your new residential tenant. They understand everything because you explained all the rules involved in renting the single family unit that you manage.

Now what? Too often the property manager fails to complete a critical tenant check-in procedure. This series will discuss the Property Condition Report.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.

Protect The Owner's Assets

The last stage of the maintenance survey is installing repairs to the property. Your survey will have identified those items needing services by getting those repair orders in and the asset is protected, which is certainly a major part of your property management responsibilities. In summary, perform maintenance surveys to help insure tenant safety, protect the owner's assets and provide the full service of a quality management firm.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.

Report Your Findings

The next stage in the maintenance survey is reporting your findings to the property owner. It should be a detailed, written description of what is happening to the unit. Many firms are now including digital pictures as well as a narrative report. Since owners of rental properties frequently live out of town, your report and pictures are the only source of information about their investment.

Peter Meer is President/Broker of Meer & Company, Inc., 303-322-1550, which manages 150 single family homes and properties in Denver, Colorado. He holds the Master Property Manager (MPM) designation and the firm holds the Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). To learn more about Peter's Landlord solutions visit Meer and Company website at www.meerandco.com.