There are many Alberta landlord forms to fill out when you get a new tenant, not to mention all the other little details involved in the tenant selection process.
It can seem like a pain to do a detailed move-in inspection, but thorough property inspections are essential to protect yourself and avoid conflict.
Not only that, the Alberta Residential Tenancies Act, which governs rental housing in the province, insists at least two written inspections occur for each new tenancy.
- The move-in inspection must be completed within one week of the move-in date.
- The move-out inspection must be completed within one week of the move-out date.
The property must be vacant for the inspection unless both tenant and landlord agree otherwise. The law dictates the landlord must schedule the inspections at a reasonable hour, between 8 AM and 8 PM. This consideration is also just good tenant management practice.
The report should also be detailed, noting the condition in each room of the:
- Walls and trim;
- Doors;
- Floor coverings;
- Ceilings;
- Windows and screens;
- Electrical fixtures;
- Window coverings;
- Appliances; and,
- Bathroom fixtures.
Many of the free move-in inspection forms you can get online are not this detailed, and therefore may not be effective if there is a dispute over damage to the property. Free Alberta landlord forms, including our Property Inspection Form, are available below.
If you’ve been a landlord for a while, inspection reports may already seem familiar to you. However, there are three specific Alberta move-in inspection rules that trip up a lot of landlords.
Mistakes Alberta Landlords Make
- You must give your tenant a copy of the inspection report promptly.
If the tenant causes damage, you may wish to withhold some or all of the tenant’s damage deposit. You cannot do this unless you performed the move-in and move-out inspections and provided the tenant with a copy.
2. The inspection report form you use must by law include these two specific phrases:
- “The inspection of the premises was conducted on (date) by (landlord or landlord’s agent) and by (tenant or the tenant’s agent).”
- “I (Name of tenant) agree/ do not agree that this report fairly represents the condition of the premises.”
If the tenant refuses to sign either of these phrases, the landlord should still sign and then must include a third phrase:
- “The tenant or tenant’s agent present at the inspection refused to sign the tenant’s statement.”
3. You cannot skip the inspection process because your tenant can’t or won’t participate. You must still proceed with the inspection. This is very surprising for many landlords, but you can perform the move-in/move-out inspection process without the tenant if they are unavailable.
Of course, you should try to offer every accommodation to your tenant before excluding them from the inspection process. The Residential Tenancy Act dictates you have to provide your tenant with the option of two different days and times for the inspection. If the tenant refuses or doesn’t show up, the landlord must complete the inspection report alone.
In that case, the report must also contain the phrase “The inspection of the premises was conducted on a (date) by (landlord or landlord’s agent) without the tenant or the tenant’s agent being present.”
If your tenant has questions about the inspection process, you can direct them to the Information for Tenants handbook from Service Alberta. If you need an Alberta property inspection form that meets all these parameters, download our free Alberta inspection form.
