Site Inspections – Why Are They Important?
7th Apr 2021
Looking after our developments and making sure they are safe is one of our main priorities, and our Property Managers attending regular site inspections is an important part of our management function.
Over the national lockdown periods we have had to pause our regular site inspections due to government guidelines, but now the lockdown restrictions are slowly being lifted our Property Managers are back making sure our managed developments are being looked after to our usual high standards.
How often do site inspections take place?
The frequency of site inspections is agreed between us and the developments Managing Company as part of the management agreement. At Blocsphere our Property Managers will visit no less than every 4 weeks and will carry out a comprehensive health & safety inspection of the managed property.
Types of site inspections
Site inspection can have different purposes.
- A general periodic inspection (the period depending on the management agreement and which might be weekly for a big, complicated block or might be annually for a small uncomplicated block).
- An inspection immediately before preparing advice for the landlord or Resident Management Company in relation to next year’s budget.
- A detailed inspection to produce information for a long-term maintenance programme.
- A health and safety and/or fire safety review if the property manager is competent to do this. This may be combined with a routine periodic inspection.
How important are site inspections?
Site inspections are an important part of our management function as we check for any health & safety matter that could affect the safety of residents and their guests. Site inspections also allow us to check for any breach of covenants and a way for up to check up on progress of known matters.
Without going to visit each site on a regular basis, it would be difficult for us to manage our developments to our usual high standards!
What do Property Managers check for?
There are many things our Property Managers will look out for when visiting each development, these will include:
- Checking all health and safety and fire safety aspects;
- Checking all repairs/maintenance works carried out since the last inspection;
- Checking on the quality-of-service contractors such as gardeners, cleaners etc;
- Checking pro-actively for anything which will need attention before the next inspection; and
- Checking the common (communal) parts generally.
Examples of common parts could be the grounds, walls, gates, paths, garages, main roof, gutters/drainpipes, bin stores, lifts, stairs, lights, fire equipment and floors.
Property Managers will also look at mechanical and electrical parts such as lifts, fire safety logs, emergency lighting and electric gates.
In addition, our Property Managers will do a visual check to see if any fire doors including front doors of flats have been altered, that maintenance of emergency lighting or other fire safety equipment has been carried out and logged, and that any fire safety notices are still intact and accurate.
Our Property Managers will also visit any Resident Management Company directors or other leaseholders, who has been notified of the visit, so that the visit can be recorded, in case we were challenged about the frequency of site inspections!
We hope that answered any questions you may have had about site inspections and the need for them. Our Property Managers are now making their way around our managed sites, if you see one of them go and say hello!