How many photos should your property manager be taking during a property inspection? Property inspections are necessary before, after and during a tenancy. At Chic Property Management we consider the photographic record at the beginning and end of tenancy as of utmost importance in identifying property condition to prevent disputes. We also like to record tenant’s furnishing placements during the tenancy during routine inspections. With increasing compliance requirements a time and date stamped photographic record is invaluable. Most insurers require 3 monthly written property inspections. Property inspections need to record any damage or potential maintenance requirements. Our preferred practice is to do limited typing during a routine inspection but take photos to ensure nothing is missed then add any additional text required to the inspection off site later in the day while fresh in memory. One of our software suppliers RentHQ conducted research. Here we share the results. Remember the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
In summary the averages are as follows:
There are a few outliers who go above and beyond, taking well over 100 photos per inspection. The highest average goes up to an astonishing 157 photos per inspection.
Conversely, the most popular category stands in stark contrast, with an average of fewer than 10 photos per inspection. 40% of clients fall into this category, showing a preference for capturing minimal photos.
Digging deeper, a significant 90% of all clients take 50 photos or less on average. Half of all clients take less than 15 photos per inspection, indicating a general trend towards limited visual documentation.
This data sheds light on the photo-taking habits of property managers and landlords, showcasing the diversity in their approach to inspection photography.
