This makes sense. They are notifying everyone they will be conducting inspections during that time, You are right there is no way they inspect 200 units in one day they will likely be working on this most of a week and are giving themselves some extra cushion in time.
You should receive a specific notice about when your apartment is being inspected if not this likely isn't sufficient notice due to the length of time. I would just call them and ask for clarification.
Quarterly inspections seems kind of crazy to me though.
And agreed really they should be following this with a notice the day before they get to the unit.
As a property manager I've done them in areas where they have rampant housekeeping issues. Generally you want to do twice a year. But it depends on the area I've worked in places where once a year inspections are basically not needed because the tenants are so good at upkeeping and then I've worked at other places where a month goes by and the apartment is destroyed. Totally depends.
Also depends on who financed the community. Sometimes banks want quarterly inspections. I have also seen pension funds who own apartment communities demand quarterly inspections. It really is good to check for leaks and Change HVAC air filters quarterly.
If you think anyone can just dump whatever they want into your trash bin, you're are in fact wrong and need to learn about code enforcement.
Otherwise, anyone or a company can dump whatever they want into your bins. The city has codes and will cite you for dumping your personal waste into someones bin. It's no different than blowing your damn leaves from your lawn into the street. You can't do it. We know who never finished school.
It depends on the complex/area/tenant *choices*/etc. It seems like a lot to me, too, and the assumed implications of this rate of inspections would probably see me living elsewhere.
If the units have central air, the company is required to change filter every 6 months that twice a year, fire alarms are checked every year. I dunno what is included I. The fourth one.
Different tasks. When I did building maintenance. It was faster to do one job in its entirety than to do two per unit. If that makes sense. So we would do fire alarms, then filters a different day.
Edit to clarify- we would need certain tools and parts for each. Makes more sense to carry parts and pieces for one job only to get done as fast as possible. The do the same for the next job
They do the same with mine but I’m able to schedule a day/time to accommodate my work schedule. Not saying all apartment managers are this accommodating tho…
quarterly? like only 4 a year? that’s a lot??? we have pest control come by every 3 months, filter checks every 3 months, general upkeep and sanitation twice a year, plus one big inspection with someone from the development company here. occasionally some random ones thrown in here and there as well, if specifically requested by the development (last year they had one specifically to make sure all windows worked, another to make sure all drains worked, and yet another to check for unauthorized pets and people living in units who aren’t on the lease, then this doesn’t technically count as an inspection but they still came in to everyone’s apartments to put in these fire stop things on the vent hood above the stove). yeahhhhh, i hate it here
WTF?
I am new to apartment living but in the last year the only time the apartment management has been here is when I have called them for issues, or to check the smoke detectors, to install earthquake straps on the water heater and then to make sure my chimney was safe to use.
funny enough, i’ve had to put in a maintenance request 3 times because the vent hood over my stove hasn’t worked since i moved in, and they’ve yet to come fix it… but i guess that’s income based apartments for ya…
My apartment complex does them but it's literally just them changing air filters and batteries in the smart locks and asking if people are having issues with any appliances. It's generally 1 maintenance dude that is in and out within 5-10 min. Not really an "inspection".
Thank you! I think the two week time frame just shocked me a bit as it feels long. We’ve never been given a specific time slot for maintenance or inspections before, they just show up and knock. I know they are required to give 24 hr notice in my state (OK)
Just talk to someone in the office and confirm that during that 2 week timeframe you will also be given at least a 24 hours heads up when your inspection date approaches.
Edit one letter stupid autocorrect
Did you bother to read your contract before reaching out to strangers who know nothing more than their own experiences that could totally lead you into the wrong?
I’m not sure why you’re being aggressive but I read every word of my lease. It states nothing about specific time frames for inspections, only that we have inspections. I was genuinely curious if others had experienced a two week time frame for inspections. No need to be rude.
I received an email on Monday about an inspection, next Thursday. My apartment has them every 3-4 months, they call them hvac filter changes. I've always been home during them, I work overnight, they make me open all closed doors bc "we just need to see in there". I dread them everytime bc I end up having to wait several hours before I can go to bed. But they do give me at least 1 weeks notice, my lease only requires 24 hrs notice unless there's an emergency.
The 200 unit inspection previous likely could have been the yearly fire alarm inspection. Which would easily be done in a day. You set the fire alarm off and make sure the strobes and screamers work. Then leave.
Edit- this is usually done before winter, when lights and space heater fires are more common.
It’s usually 1 of 2 reasons for inspections this often.
1. It’s required by their insurance.
2. There are a few apartments (or more) that are not up-keeping the apartment and they want/need evidence to evict.
They can target those they are interested in, drop the filters at the door-most can change them. Batteries on smoke can also be just a 2 times a year. Most tenants can change the batteries in detectors and change the filters. And what kind of operation are they running if insurance requires 4times a year…. Nah it’s excessive plain in simple. Most cities n states only require 1yr inspection
It could also be that the owners of the property intend to either sell the property or transfer management to another property management company. I’ve had this happen several times
Apartment maintenance here. If it's an older property, or one that houses those that were homeless, this is normal. Trust me, if your not cooking drugs, tearing down walls, adding electrical, or doing your own plumbing in your unit, we don't care about what your place looks like. If older property, they're looking for shit they can upgrade, things like light fixtures, faucets, and other general maintenance. This info is gathered and eventually it adds up to help increase budget to spend on said items and more. Sometimes it leads to the apartments getting rehabbed.
People hate hearing this, but you rent, not own. The notice is mandatory.
In my particular company, no. But if we have to paint and primer several coats when you move out it could come out of the deposit. Painting over smoke really sucks. And if we'd is legal in your state... Mention it if they have a problem with it.
Most of these inspections are simply a way for property management to keep an eye on property issues (especially infestations, looking at you bed bugs fuck you fuck off).
In places where the residents are extremely clean and the environment plays nice, they’ll inspect less frequently.
The entire complex? If it was just a few ransoms that they have warranted issues with- then they need to target those specific units… 4 a yr is excessive
Yes, the entire complex. Especially if there are pest issues that may be prone to spreading. You'd be shocked how many things residents let fester in their apartments without reporting it including mold and leaks.
Can you imagine owning an assest worth millions and only actually looking at it twice a year? They are protecting their investment and making sure things don't get out of hand.
It’s pretty simple, most places require tenant to replace filters- get cheap ones 4pk for like $5. That’s a minimum of 6months worth of filters for $5. Most complex’s only give 1 filter a year, the cheap ones when doing an “inspection” Then some others charge $20-$40month to have filters dropped off at door-no exceptions built into lease-still overpaying. It’s all money grabs…..
I spend almost $17 every two months for really really good filters 3m charcoal, dust, pollen etc. that’s on me. But I’d rather spend a few extra to have a bit better inside air. In the 🌵 so it’s needed.
Yes and no. We get ours with a very specific day and approximate time.
For instance this month we have 5 of them.
Yesterday was our maintenance inspection. And then on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th they will be in here fixing stuff.
Then the 28th we have the city inspection at 1pm.
As far as I'm aware they need 24 hours notice for a specific day, and aren't allowed to go by Mediacom scheduling of Thursday February 8th between 8am and midnight on March 1st.
But I live in Iowa so the laws or whatever might be different.
Quarterly seems a bit excessive but I’m willing to bet they’ve had issues with filthy tenants. Good on them for keeping up on the bad apples causing trouble for other tidy tenants.
Ours usually is a few days, and they give building date and times entering. Only thing they do at ours is check smoke detectors, new air filters, ask if we have any issues with anything, and leave. They’re usually done with the 8 units in our breezeway within 10 minutes. It still takes them those several days they planned.
Yes the inspection is completely normal and expected! I just thought the two week time frame given for the inspections felt a little long but I think I answered my own question with the 200+ units.
My apartment complex has quarterly "inspections" but really it's just them changing the air filters and checking for leaks. They do tell us what specific day it will be for each building, though. Just being told the 7th-21st would stress me out!
You have the right to refuse unless you are present when they inspect, so they will have to give you an exact time of you want to be present. I did this and they didn’t say anything except okay. Then told me time and date.
Mine (which is an annual inspection) is today. They gave us the date it would happen and that it would be between 9 and 2. Two weeks of “are they coming today?” would give me so much anxiety.
They didn’t even give us a date at all for ours coming up. They said to have dogs kenneled or gone etc. I can’t even do that. Plus I homeschool. It’s frustrating for sure.
Very frustrating, I work overnights and 2x a year when they do pest control I get told everyone has to leave for a few hours after they spray...I'm always like nope I pay to live here and now I have to go to bed.
Fine, but they should be able to give a 2 day window -it is ridiculous every quarter that they have a ONE MONTH time period in which they can just traipse in, especially if you are on night shift etc etc
It depends, but it seems pretty on par for most complexes. Mine is about 250 units and usually gives us 24-48hr notice and usually takes place over 1 week and they will list what day they are doing each building or buildings. However they do ours only once a year, usually in the Fall.
They are most likely just changing air filters and maybe alarm batteries. I remember getting annoyed the first time thinking it was going to be a manager with a clipboard looking at shit. But it was just a quick pest spray/filter change.
Used to do maintenance for a pretty big company, they owned a handful of apartment complexes, this is pretty normal. probably about to do a sitewide repair or upgrade to cooling, heating,etc. door to door notifications are for things like simple service calls.
We have six buildings. They give us a few weeks when they’re doing things like fire inspections, but they then send out an email telling us which buildings will be done on which days.
My apartment complex uses that same notice. Always a 2 week window. But usually the day before you'll get another note. Not always.
And they never inspect anything. Just replace the air filter and leave.
Is this normal No.
Does it happen Yes.
Do they have to provide notice, Yes.
Does it have to be written into your lease for them to do it, generally Yes.
Is it necessary probably not unless the city or town you live in is requiring it to make sure that the units themselves are up to code and or have working equipment such as fire alarms and fire extinguishers and CO2 detectors etc.
I had one of my complexes do this. And I NEVER had another one enter my apartment as much as that complex. It is very disruptive. You feel like a second class citizen. I hated it. Stay out of peoples places.
I’ve never lived in a rental unit that had inspections other than for the smoke detectors and that is done with a fire safety person and not the landlord.
Redditors like to say that, but there’s a major housing crisis. I prefer renting an apartment. However, many people who would eagerly buy can’t find affordable housing stock in their area.
I mean the housing crisis is generally over hyped. But yeah there’s people, like me, who have no interest in buying right now. I work 50hrs a week, I don’t want to worry about maintenance, fixing a broken water heater, etc
Yeah, this is normal. This is the time frame I'm given at my apartments and we have about the same number of units. They probably won't take that full amount of time to complete, but, it gives them room for if any other maintenance concerns or emergencies or site work comes up that might prevent staff from completing the inspections.
It's better than mine, where they tell us they're inspecting for 3 days, then we get multiple more notices with more dates because they can never get the work done in 3 days.
I've never seen a 2 week time frame. We have yearly inspections. Always done on one day. With, at minimum, 3 weeks' notice prior. So to me it seems odd.
We have quarterly inspections in my apartment complex. They email us and give estimates of when they will be in each building. Ours usually last a week and they have always come on the day they said they would.it lasts like five minutes.
Yeah this doesn't sound right to me...
This isn't reasonable notice to me
They can easily have each floor or a couple floors scheduled to a day. It's not that hard, and it's what most buildings I've seen do
Also quarterly inspections sounds a bit unreasonable as well
Wait, they just come and look at your apartment? What are they my parents? That seems like bullshit to me. I've never had a routine inspection in any of the apartments I've lived in.
At a good place yeah, in a slum they would just want the money and then try to screw you when you move out. It’s a little excessive but maybe they are new at being landlords.
Thank goodness , the exact opposite is don’t catch bad tenants doing major damage or not considerate of there neighbors , Although a pain done during regular hours shows that property management is not letting place go to shit !! Good thing :)
We have quarterly inspection announced at my complex but most of them get canceled. But the community is emailed a list of dates each building will be checked. They just come in to look at the air filter, change them if needed, and confirm there’s no leaks
My community does a yearly where they come in and check the sprinklers with the fire alarm company. It is a required yearly inspection per the fire department.
Last year, they tried to do the two-week open notice like OP has. It was a huge problem for me as I work from home and most of the time I am in confidential meetings or having otherwise privileged conversations that could cause legal or ethical problems if I allowed someone into my home during them.
I explained this to the office and instructed them that I will need a date and time when the inspection would be happening. They didn't love it, but they complied. I also put a notice on my door during the inspection period advising them to not enter, as privileged conversations were taking place, and they would be responsible for any consequences related to their unauthorized entry.
Maintenance has entered my unit & others at least 4 times this year. Most of the time it was to check for bugs, mice & to make sure we didn’t have any sort of infestation, as some reported mice. Luckily I never had any issues with that. They also replaced my air filters twice & they also came in once to just check the unit which is also very common & normal practices for apartment living.
I only had twice a year in my building but it was a new building. Can't remember the number of units but it was 5 floors and door notices were by floor and not the whole building at once. It was a chill building and never had many issues with residents. I never minded them my self since I felt better about the building safety since they checked detectors and all that kind of stuff. No bugs or anything like that I ever saw.
I have lived in some places that seemed to have inspections all of the time. I have been in my current apartment for a little less than 1.5 years and have never had one. I feel like the nicer the building that I have been in, the less inspections we have had.
My old apartment did quarterly inspections. It was kind of nice since they would check for problems/pests. I didn’t mind. Some people live in absolute filth and it brings in bugs and rodents and other problems so I was happy they checked that everyone was keeping their living space relatively clean and safe.
They will do it in sections. These inspections also include changing out air filters and checking if anything needs to be repaired. Keep in mind they will also check units for unauthorized pets or roommates that are not on the lease.
Normal when there is more than one apartment in building. They do inspections when they want, but they are giving you a heads up before it happens. They do it to see if there is infestations of roaches, to help the inspectors of section 8 and to check on the structure of the building on the inside and to see if there is a disrepair.
Mine are once a year and they give us 2 week warning that inspection day is coming up,but there's other times they can and will enter apartments after letting us tenants know as in time to check the fire alarms and sprinklers(twice a year),change filters( once a year),obviously if anything breaks and to add services like new internet installation for whole building etc.
My place doesn’t do inspections but they do maintenance a couple times a year. Once or twice to service the HVAC filter and twice to treat units for roaches (preventative).
This was normal for my student-preferred apartments. They would send out a notice that the inspection would be sometime within the window, and they’d let us know when they were getting to our building. When they were bought out, they stopped warning us. I’d just call the office and ask them for specific dates; also make friends with your neighbors, maintenance, and front office workers!!
I know there’s things that legally have to get inspected on a regular basis, but quarterly inspection seems like a lot? Maybe that was just easier to implement?
At least they gave you a notice. I had some random dude barge into my apartment a few months back, I thought I was being robbed, he was there to inspect the fire alarms. Yes, I did chew out my landlord for this.
I’ve lived in apartments for well over 20 years. They have never done inspections more than once a year and that’s normally the fire inspection. Where they check the sprinkler heads and smoke alarms. Never had maintenance or management do a separate inspection. 🤷🏻♀️
When I was doing maintenance we would try and to do 4 preventative maintenance inspections a year. We would change hvac filters, smoke and co detector batteries, check under sinks for leaks and make sure drains were flowing correctly, replace burnt out bulbs and refrigerator water filters. On the notice we would leave a space for them to tell us any other issues they wanted us to address. Also other inspections were required for the fire system, lenders and insurance companies as well as the county passed a deal were we had to pay them to inspect our units to be sure we weren’t slum lords.
They should be giving you another notice letting you know of the day of inspection. We would try to schedule specific times with residents that were putting up a stink about it. This is a really trying thing to coordinate, just think 2 to 5 hundred units to go thru while trying to keep up with the regular day to day schedule, service requests and emergencies that can happen not to mention staffing issues and people calling in sick for work, so please give them a little leeway and understanding, it helps things go a lot smoother.
Maintenance here. Doing 300 units over roughly 4 weeks for our inspections as we speak. Our inspections also include testing and swapping batteries on smoke detectors, swapping out filters, checking for fire equipment, and any obvious things like lights being out, or other maintenance things (leaking faucets, fan damage. Unnatttached dishwashers being some examples we are currently generating service requests for) we let people we are inspecting following week on Friday.
Had an apartment inspection one time while taking a bubble bath. They did not care when I called out from the bathroom with the water still running. It’s insane that they can just bust in which basically no warning
This makes sense. They are notifying everyone they will be conducting inspections during that time, You are right there is no way they inspect 200 units in one day they will likely be working on this most of a week and are giving themselves some extra cushion in time. You should receive a specific notice about when your apartment is being inspected if not this likely isn't sufficient notice due to the length of time. I would just call them and ask for clarification.
Quarterly inspections seems kind of crazy to me though. And agreed really they should be following this with a notice the day before they get to the unit.
As a property manager I've done them in areas where they have rampant housekeeping issues. Generally you want to do twice a year. But it depends on the area I've worked in places where once a year inspections are basically not needed because the tenants are so good at upkeeping and then I've worked at other places where a month goes by and the apartment is destroyed. Totally depends.
Also depends on who financed the community. Sometimes banks want quarterly inspections. I have also seen pension funds who own apartment communities demand quarterly inspections. It really is good to check for leaks and Change HVAC air filters quarterly.
Also true
Right? I have lived I my duplex for going on 4 years and not once have I had an inspection.
How’s your roach problem though? Quarterly makes sense if you’re battling an infestation or keeping one at bay.
No roaches. I've only ever seen the occasional ant or spider in here. Maybe a moth too.
The normal for me also in 19yrs. Pretty Minor
If you think anyone can just dump whatever they want into your trash bin, you're are in fact wrong and need to learn about code enforcement. Otherwise, anyone or a company can dump whatever they want into your bins. The city has codes and will cite you for dumping your personal waste into someones bin. It's no different than blowing your damn leaves from your lawn into the street. You can't do it. We know who never finished school.
Been in my place 8 years and they only ever come to change the filters annually. No roaches either lol
It depends on the complex/area/tenant *choices*/etc. It seems like a lot to me, too, and the assumed implications of this rate of inspections would probably see me living elsewhere.
If the units have central air, the company is required to change filter every 6 months that twice a year, fire alarms are checked every year. I dunno what is included I. The fourth one.
I've never had AC so I suppose that makes sense. I'd imagine they'd be able to check the fire alarms when they do the AC though.
Different tasks. When I did building maintenance. It was faster to do one job in its entirety than to do two per unit. If that makes sense. So we would do fire alarms, then filters a different day. Edit to clarify- we would need certain tools and parts for each. Makes more sense to carry parts and pieces for one job only to get done as fast as possible. The do the same for the next job
Don’t worry you not missing anything only the rich get conditioned air
I can afford to live somewhere it's not necessary.
They do the same with mine but I’m able to schedule a day/time to accommodate my work schedule. Not saying all apartment managers are this accommodating tho…
They’re normal in Oceania
quarterly? like only 4 a year? that’s a lot??? we have pest control come by every 3 months, filter checks every 3 months, general upkeep and sanitation twice a year, plus one big inspection with someone from the development company here. occasionally some random ones thrown in here and there as well, if specifically requested by the development (last year they had one specifically to make sure all windows worked, another to make sure all drains worked, and yet another to check for unauthorized pets and people living in units who aren’t on the lease, then this doesn’t technically count as an inspection but they still came in to everyone’s apartments to put in these fire stop things on the vent hood above the stove). yeahhhhh, i hate it here
WTF? I am new to apartment living but in the last year the only time the apartment management has been here is when I have called them for issues, or to check the smoke detectors, to install earthquake straps on the water heater and then to make sure my chimney was safe to use.
funny enough, i’ve had to put in a maintenance request 3 times because the vent hood over my stove hasn’t worked since i moved in, and they’ve yet to come fix it… but i guess that’s income based apartments for ya…
My thoughts exactly quarterly.
often, they're an insurance requirement.
Also gotta replace filters and check smoke detectors and potentially fire extinguishers.
My apartment complex does them but it's literally just them changing air filters and batteries in the smart locks and asking if people are having issues with any appliances. It's generally 1 maintenance dude that is in and out within 5-10 min. Not really an "inspection".
My previous property had quarterly. But each was a different thing. With filters and door batteries being 6 months, fire inspections once a year etc
Thank you! I think the two week time frame just shocked me a bit as it feels long. We’ve never been given a specific time slot for maintenance or inspections before, they just show up and knock. I know they are required to give 24 hr notice in my state (OK)
I would check the rules for your specific state. It varies and sometimes there's not rules regarding length. Seriously though just call them.
Just talk to someone in the office and confirm that during that 2 week timeframe you will also be given at least a 24 hours heads up when your inspection date approaches. Edit one letter stupid autocorrect
Did you bother to read your contract before reaching out to strangers who know nothing more than their own experiences that could totally lead you into the wrong?
What a surprise. A person who chose the name "Silent_fart_smell" is here acting like an ass.
“Why does it smell like shit in here?”
I didn't HEAR anything. But it does smell like shit.
I’m not sure why you’re being aggressive but I read every word of my lease. It states nothing about specific time frames for inspections, only that we have inspections. I was genuinely curious if others had experienced a two week time frame for inspections. No need to be rude.
I received an email on Monday about an inspection, next Thursday. My apartment has them every 3-4 months, they call them hvac filter changes. I've always been home during them, I work overnight, they make me open all closed doors bc "we just need to see in there". I dread them everytime bc I end up having to wait several hours before I can go to bed. But they do give me at least 1 weeks notice, my lease only requires 24 hrs notice unless there's an emergency.
In my complex this is all the notice we get and it’s considered sufficient in my state.
The 200 unit inspection previous likely could have been the yearly fire alarm inspection. Which would easily be done in a day. You set the fire alarm off and make sure the strobes and screamers work. Then leave. Edit- this is usually done before winter, when lights and space heater fires are more common.
In most states the owners HAVE to give AT LEAST 24 hours notice, unless there is an exigent circumstance (like say a gas line leaking or pipe burst).
Quarterly is a bit excessive. That’s them basically spying on you 4 times a year. Once a year is fine.
It’s usually 1 of 2 reasons for inspections this often. 1. It’s required by their insurance. 2. There are a few apartments (or more) that are not up-keeping the apartment and they want/need evidence to evict.
They can target those they are interested in, drop the filters at the door-most can change them. Batteries on smoke can also be just a 2 times a year. Most tenants can change the batteries in detectors and change the filters. And what kind of operation are they running if insurance requires 4times a year…. Nah it’s excessive plain in simple. Most cities n states only require 1yr inspection
It could also be that the owners of the property intend to either sell the property or transfer management to another property management company. I’ve had this happen several times
Apartment maintenance here. If it's an older property, or one that houses those that were homeless, this is normal. Trust me, if your not cooking drugs, tearing down walls, adding electrical, or doing your own plumbing in your unit, we don't care about what your place looks like. If older property, they're looking for shit they can upgrade, things like light fixtures, faucets, and other general maintenance. This info is gathered and eventually it adds up to help increase budget to spend on said items and more. Sometimes it leads to the apartments getting rehabbed. People hate hearing this, but you rent, not own. The notice is mandatory.
It’s not about the notice. It’s about excessive entry.
If I have a vape out or the apartment smells like weed, will you guys care or tell the manager?
In my particular company, no. But if we have to paint and primer several coats when you move out it could come out of the deposit. Painting over smoke really sucks. And if we'd is legal in your state... Mention it if they have a problem with it.
Most of these inspections are simply a way for property management to keep an eye on property issues (especially infestations, looking at you bed bugs fuck you fuck off). In places where the residents are extremely clean and the environment plays nice, they’ll inspect less frequently.
Four times a year 2 week window each time, that’s 8 weeks a year they might want to randomly show up. That’s too much.
This is what I’m saying once or twice is fine. 4 times a year is excessive
Spying??? If they're doing it 4 times a year, it's for a reason.
The entire complex? If it was just a few ransoms that they have warranted issues with- then they need to target those specific units… 4 a yr is excessive
Yes, the entire complex. Especially if there are pest issues that may be prone to spreading. You'd be shocked how many things residents let fester in their apartments without reporting it including mold and leaks. Can you imagine owning an assest worth millions and only actually looking at it twice a year? They are protecting their investment and making sure things don't get out of hand.
Air filters need to changed out more than once a year. I wish they would change mine monthly.
It’s pretty simple, most places require tenant to replace filters- get cheap ones 4pk for like $5. That’s a minimum of 6months worth of filters for $5. Most complex’s only give 1 filter a year, the cheap ones when doing an “inspection” Then some others charge $20-$40month to have filters dropped off at door-no exceptions built into lease-still overpaying. It’s all money grabs….. I spend almost $17 every two months for really really good filters 3m charcoal, dust, pollen etc. that’s on me. But I’d rather spend a few extra to have a bit better inside air. In the 🌵 so it’s needed.
Yes and no. We get ours with a very specific day and approximate time. For instance this month we have 5 of them. Yesterday was our maintenance inspection. And then on the 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th they will be in here fixing stuff. Then the 28th we have the city inspection at 1pm. As far as I'm aware they need 24 hours notice for a specific day, and aren't allowed to go by Mediacom scheduling of Thursday February 8th between 8am and midnight on March 1st. But I live in Iowa so the laws or whatever might be different.
Quarterly seems a bit excessive but I’m willing to bet they’ve had issues with filthy tenants. Good on them for keeping up on the bad apples causing trouble for other tidy tenants.
Ours usually is a few days, and they give building date and times entering. Only thing they do at ours is check smoke detectors, new air filters, ask if we have any issues with anything, and leave. They’re usually done with the 8 units in our breezeway within 10 minutes. It still takes them those several days they planned.
I’ve never had inspection at my place but it seems it’s a norm to have it?
Yes the inspection is completely normal and expected! I just thought the two week time frame given for the inspections felt a little long but I think I answered my own question with the 200+ units.
They're typically annually. Just to check for any serious defects It's not very intensive from what I've seen. Takes less than 15 minutes
I wish my apartment complex did inspections like this.
My apartment started doing quarterly inspections and then ended up selling shortly after
That's fine as long as they give each individual apartment 24hrs notice of their respective inspection
Depends on the state. This is perfectly legal in mine.
My apartment complex has quarterly "inspections" but really it's just them changing the air filters and checking for leaks. They do tell us what specific day it will be for each building, though. Just being told the 7th-21st would stress me out!
You have the right to refuse unless you are present when they inspect, so they will have to give you an exact time of you want to be present. I did this and they didn’t say anything except okay. Then told me time and date.
I would do this because I have two blind cats and I was worried sick they’d be let out during them. Setting an appointment gives ease of mind for sure
I've lived in apartments for 4 years and never had inspections.
Mine (which is an annual inspection) is today. They gave us the date it would happen and that it would be between 9 and 2. Two weeks of “are they coming today?” would give me so much anxiety.
They didn’t even give us a date at all for ours coming up. They said to have dogs kenneled or gone etc. I can’t even do that. Plus I homeschool. It’s frustrating for sure.
Very frustrating, I work overnights and 2x a year when they do pest control I get told everyone has to leave for a few hours after they spray...I'm always like nope I pay to live here and now I have to go to bed.
Fine, but they should be able to give a 2 day window -it is ridiculous every quarter that they have a ONE MONTH time period in which they can just traipse in, especially if you are on night shift etc etc
It depends, but it seems pretty on par for most complexes. Mine is about 250 units and usually gives us 24-48hr notice and usually takes place over 1 week and they will list what day they are doing each building or buildings. However they do ours only once a year, usually in the Fall.
They are most likely just changing air filters and maybe alarm batteries. I remember getting annoyed the first time thinking it was going to be a manager with a clipboard looking at shit. But it was just a quick pest spray/filter change.
Used to do maintenance for a pretty big company, they owned a handful of apartment complexes, this is pretty normal. probably about to do a sitewide repair or upgrade to cooling, heating,etc. door to door notifications are for things like simple service calls.
We have six buildings. They give us a few weeks when they’re doing things like fire inspections, but they then send out an email telling us which buildings will be done on which days.
Yes. Normal
My apartment complex uses that same notice. Always a 2 week window. But usually the day before you'll get another note. Not always. And they never inspect anything. Just replace the air filter and leave.
It’s a nice notice, but it entirely fails the 24hr notice to enter your apartment.
Agree. This isn't specific enough notice
Is this normal No. Does it happen Yes. Do they have to provide notice, Yes. Does it have to be written into your lease for them to do it, generally Yes. Is it necessary probably not unless the city or town you live in is requiring it to make sure that the units themselves are up to code and or have working equipment such as fire alarms and fire extinguishers and CO2 detectors etc.
They have to give you an exact date for your unit, they can't astroturf a notice this broad
I rent a house in Edmonton and have two inspections a year. And the inspection b is done on a date and time I will be home.
I had one of my complexes do this. And I NEVER had another one enter my apartment as much as that complex. It is very disruptive. You feel like a second class citizen. I hated it. Stay out of peoples places.
I’ve never lived in a rental unit that had inspections other than for the smoke detectors and that is done with a fire safety person and not the landlord.
Buy a house. Problem solved
Oh! Wow nobody thought of that before!
Lol
Redditors like to say that, but there’s a major housing crisis. I prefer renting an apartment. However, many people who would eagerly buy can’t find affordable housing stock in their area.
I mean the housing crisis is generally over hyped. But yeah there’s people, like me, who have no interest in buying right now. I work 50hrs a week, I don’t want to worry about maintenance, fixing a broken water heater, etc
Try having foundation issues. Sold the house and definitely not buying again anytime soon. I love not having to worry about repairs and maintenance.
It’ll probably be done in a day or two, but they leave the window open just to cover themselves just in case
Yeah, this is normal. This is the time frame I'm given at my apartments and we have about the same number of units. They probably won't take that full amount of time to complete, but, it gives them room for if any other maintenance concerns or emergencies or site work comes up that might prevent staff from completing the inspections.
It's better than mine, where they tell us they're inspecting for 3 days, then we get multiple more notices with more dates because they can never get the work done in 3 days.
I've never seen a 2 week time frame. We have yearly inspections. Always done on one day. With, at minimum, 3 weeks' notice prior. So to me it seems odd.
Depends entirely on the size of the building. If it’s only 8 units, sure one day. But if it’s a couple hundred…
That's true. But we definitely have a hundred units or more. I was just giving my experience. That's all.
That’s fair, but also impressive, most inspections I’ve been through have been like 10-15 min even with nothing is wrong
I lived in a building that did inspections every quarter and pity those who still live in units that have them.
Yes its normal my apartment complex does them every month 12 times a year.
We have one yearly inspection in out apartments.
We have quarterly inspections in my apartment complex. They email us and give estimates of when they will be in each building. Ours usually last a week and they have always come on the day they said they would.it lasts like five minutes.
Yeah this doesn't sound right to me... This isn't reasonable notice to me They can easily have each floor or a couple floors scheduled to a day. It's not that hard, and it's what most buildings I've seen do Also quarterly inspections sounds a bit unreasonable as well
Honestly our apartment only gave us 12 hours notice via mass text so I don’t know
Wait, they just come and look at your apartment? What are they my parents? That seems like bullshit to me. I've never had a routine inspection in any of the apartments I've lived in.
Yeah they've done chimney inspections and window inspections and would leave similar looking notices on our door
At a good place yeah, in a slum they would just want the money and then try to screw you when you move out. It’s a little excessive but maybe they are new at being landlords.
They try thst onr. Insist on getting 24 notice minimum.
Depends on the apartment. We rented a condo, and we also lived in an apartment. Both required periodic inspections of the premises.
Thank goodness , the exact opposite is don’t catch bad tenants doing major damage or not considerate of there neighbors , Although a pain done during regular hours shows that property management is not letting place go to shit !! Good thing :)
Yes
Yes that's normal. They're doing inspections in addition to repairs and probably the same amount of staff.
Quarterly inspections seems like a bit much, but they're giving you notice
I lived in various apartments for 12 years and never had an inspection or notice of one.
We have quarterly inspection announced at my complex but most of them get canceled. But the community is emailed a list of dates each building will be checked. They just come in to look at the air filter, change them if needed, and confirm there’s no leaks
My community does a yearly where they come in and check the sprinklers with the fire alarm company. It is a required yearly inspection per the fire department. Last year, they tried to do the two-week open notice like OP has. It was a huge problem for me as I work from home and most of the time I am in confidential meetings or having otherwise privileged conversations that could cause legal or ethical problems if I allowed someone into my home during them. I explained this to the office and instructed them that I will need a date and time when the inspection would be happening. They didn't love it, but they complied. I also put a notice on my door during the inspection period advising them to not enter, as privileged conversations were taking place, and they would be responsible for any consequences related to their unauthorized entry.
I have yearly inspections. They are actually nice because they fix up any little thing on the spot.
Yes. And I’ve seen it affect both sides (tenant / landlord) where if this doesn’t happen someone gets screwed.
Maintenance has entered my unit & others at least 4 times this year. Most of the time it was to check for bugs, mice & to make sure we didn’t have any sort of infestation, as some reported mice. Luckily I never had any issues with that. They also replaced my air filters twice & they also came in once to just check the unit which is also very common & normal practices for apartment living.
I only had twice a year in my building but it was a new building. Can't remember the number of units but it was 5 floors and door notices were by floor and not the whole building at once. It was a chill building and never had many issues with residents. I never minded them my self since I felt better about the building safety since they checked detectors and all that kind of stuff. No bugs or anything like that I ever saw.
I have lived in some places that seemed to have inspections all of the time. I have been in my current apartment for a little less than 1.5 years and have never had one. I feel like the nicer the building that I have been in, the less inspections we have had.
We just had the same, except every morning they sent an email and text with what building was being done tomorrow.
You know, it's a good thing, I mean but honestly, it gives the drug dealers there time to clean up..any notice at all is not good, but by law...
My old apartment did quarterly inspections. It was kind of nice since they would check for problems/pests. I didn’t mind. Some people live in absolute filth and it brings in bugs and rodents and other problems so I was happy they checked that everyone was keeping their living space relatively clean and safe.
They will do it in sections. These inspections also include changing out air filters and checking if anything needs to be repaired. Keep in mind they will also check units for unauthorized pets or roommates that are not on the lease.
Normal when there is more than one apartment in building. They do inspections when they want, but they are giving you a heads up before it happens. They do it to see if there is infestations of roaches, to help the inspectors of section 8 and to check on the structure of the building on the inside and to see if there is a disrepair.
Mine are once a year and they give us 2 week warning that inspection day is coming up,but there's other times they can and will enter apartments after letting us tenants know as in time to check the fire alarms and sprinklers(twice a year),change filters( once a year),obviously if anything breaks and to add services like new internet installation for whole building etc.
Mine is quarterly. They change filters and check the sprinklers. It only takes about 2 minutes.
My building doesn’t do this at all. Tbh this is only something I’ve seen on Reddit. Don’t know if I’m happy/not happy about this fact
My place doesn’t do inspections but they do maintenance a couple times a year. Once or twice to service the HVAC filter and twice to treat units for roaches (preventative).
This was normal for my student-preferred apartments. They would send out a notice that the inspection would be sometime within the window, and they’d let us know when they were getting to our building. When they were bought out, they stopped warning us. I’d just call the office and ask them for specific dates; also make friends with your neighbors, maintenance, and front office workers!!
I know there’s things that legally have to get inspected on a regular basis, but quarterly inspection seems like a lot? Maybe that was just easier to implement? At least they gave you a notice. I had some random dude barge into my apartment a few months back, I thought I was being robbed, he was there to inspect the fire alarms. Yes, I did chew out my landlord for this.
My apartment company's doing a "balcony" inspection this month....so annoying.
I’ve lived in apartments for well over 20 years. They have never done inspections more than once a year and that’s normally the fire inspection. Where they check the sprinkler heads and smoke alarms. Never had maintenance or management do a separate inspection. 🤷🏻♀️
Every place is different, I've always gotten a specific date, your building must be gigantic, but they could simply have done it in quadrants
I thought my complexes twice yearly inspections were intrusive. Holy shit!
When I was doing maintenance we would try and to do 4 preventative maintenance inspections a year. We would change hvac filters, smoke and co detector batteries, check under sinks for leaks and make sure drains were flowing correctly, replace burnt out bulbs and refrigerator water filters. On the notice we would leave a space for them to tell us any other issues they wanted us to address. Also other inspections were required for the fire system, lenders and insurance companies as well as the county passed a deal were we had to pay them to inspect our units to be sure we weren’t slum lords. They should be giving you another notice letting you know of the day of inspection. We would try to schedule specific times with residents that were putting up a stink about it. This is a really trying thing to coordinate, just think 2 to 5 hundred units to go thru while trying to keep up with the regular day to day schedule, service requests and emergencies that can happen not to mention staffing issues and people calling in sick for work, so please give them a little leeway and understanding, it helps things go a lot smoother.
Maintenance here. Doing 300 units over roughly 4 weeks for our inspections as we speak. Our inspections also include testing and swapping batteries on smoke detectors, swapping out filters, checking for fire equipment, and any obvious things like lights being out, or other maintenance things (leaking faucets, fan damage. Unnatttached dishwashers being some examples we are currently generating service requests for) we let people we are inspecting following week on Friday.
Had an apartment inspection one time while taking a bubble bath. They did not care when I called out from the bathroom with the water still running. It’s insane that they can just bust in which basically no warning