Keeping an eye on your investment property

[duck]

What is the best way to keep an eye on your property.
Knowing whats going on.
Are tenants trashing the inside.

Is doing regular property maintenance an acceptable way of checking your investment isn't getting wrecked.
I.E. mowing lawns every week or two, or is this to much in the tenants face?

Maybe driving past once a week? or is this regarded as stalking?

Comments? experience from the PM's and other gurus?

[SuperDad]

Do inspections 4-weekly if you are worried about this.

Including lawn mowing in the contract, and doing it yourself is perfectly acceptable.

If you are really worried about this, you have to ask yourself whether you have chosen the best tenants.

[Green Fish]

"Quiet Enjoyment"

If the tenant pays the rent, they are entitled to be left in peace to enjoy the property that they are paying to occupy. If you're going to check, do the checking at the beginning of the tenancy. Once they're in, they're in. You can inspect the premises by giving a 48-hour notice, but that might lose you a good tenant.

[duck]

Great, Thanks guys!

[BusyLizzy]

You are entitled to do an inspection every 2 months. You just need to give 48 hours notice of your intent.

I would suggest you go to the Tenancy Services website - they have lots of helpful info for landlords (obligations and what you can/can't do).

[Glenn]

What is the best way to keep an eye on your property.
Knowing whats going on.
Are tenants trashing the inside.

Is doing regular property maintenance an acceptable way of checking your investment isn't getting wrecked.
I.E. mowing lawns every week or two, or is this to much in the tenants face?

Maybe driving past once a week? or is this regarded as stalking?

Comments? experience from the PM's and other gurus?

If this is all too much of a worry I suggest you get your property managed by a property manager who does the job correctly.
Then with a bit of luck you will be able to get some sleep at night.

Failing that I guess you could install miniture hidden cameras in all rooms and monitor what is going on from the comfort of your home.
You can post it on youtube and get a huge following.

[FlowerPrincessOlivia]

we never check dat, but better u make sure ur tenant quality

[Munga]

Check them out on Facebook

Try doing a google search under their names and see what pops up. We have one flat that likes to posts all the goings-on on facebook. Makes interesting viewing I can tell you. Which is great - saves us the expense of hidden cameras (like we would ).

I can't understand why the young ones like to post pictures of themselves on the internet in all sorts of states - potential employers (and landlords) could easily google their name and see this. It's just dumb.

[SuperDad]

You are entitled to do an inspection every 2 months. You just need to give 48 hours notice of your intent.

Incorrect.

A LL can inspect the property once every 4 weeks.

[Glenn]

Try doing a google search under their names and see what pops up. We have one flat that likes to posts all the goings-on on facebook. Makes interesting viewing I can tell you. Which is great - saves us the expense of hidden cameras (like we would ).

I can't understand why the young ones like to post pictures of themselves on the internet in all sorts of states - potential employers (and landlords) could easily google their name and see this. It's just dumb.

I have tried that but never seem to find who I am looking for.
Do you search on the general area of Google (limited to NZ) or is there a better page for abnormal tenants.
I have just been trying to look for a news article on a person coming out of jail. He is away there for arson and the MOC wants to put him in one of my flats on HD.

[SuperDad]

I would want to check with the owner's insurer before placing such a crim in a property.

There may be a clause in their insurance that voids a claim if the property is burnt down by an occupant who was known by the owner/PM to be a convicted arsonist.

Paul.

[Munga]

I have tried that but never seem to find who I am looking for.
Do you search on the general area of Google (limited to NZ) or is there a better page for abnormal tenants.
I have just been trying to look for a news article on a person coming out of jail. He is away there for arson and the MOC wants to put him in one of my flats on HD.

Do a general search in Google under NZ to see what you get for a start.

Separate to that, you need to join up on to Facebook (free) and then do a search under each of your tenants names. Some people lock their photo albums so that only their friends have access to them - and some are not careful enough to bother.

(My 75 yr old mother-in-law is on Facebook )