A property maintenance inspection report gives a landlord or property manager a clear picture of condition at a point in time. fabric, M&E systems, defects found, and what needs attention and when. This page covers what the report must include, provides a free inline checklist, and explains how modern firms deliver the report to the landlord on the day of the inspection.
Landlords in England, Scotland, and Wales have a statutory duty under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property and the installations for water, gas, electricity, and heating. A maintenance inspection report is the documentary record that the landlord has discharged that duty.
Without a record, the landlord cannot demonstrate what condition the property was in at a specific date. If a tenant later claims the boiler had been defective for six months and the landlord was aware, a dated inspection report showing the boiler was checked and found to be in satisfactory condition is strong evidence. The absence of any record is not.
Property managers running a portfolio of rental properties also use inspection reports to prioritise maintenance spend. A report showing ten properties across the portfolio, with a clear summary of red-amber-green condition per property, is a management tool as well as a compliance document.
Roof condition, visible from ground level (or by drone/ladder where accessible). Gutters and downpipes: condition, signs of overflow or blockage. External walls: render, pointing, cladding condition. Windows and external doors: condition, draught sealing, security hardware. Boundary structures: gates, fencing, walls.
Ceilings, walls, and floors. condition, evidence of damp, staining, or structural movement. Windows internally. operation, seals, condensation between panes. Internal doors. operation, condition, fire door integrity where applicable. Kitchen and bathroom surfaces. condition of tiles, grout, silicone.
Boiler condition and current service label: is it within the service interval? Evidence of pressure loss, leaks, or unusual sounds reported by tenant. Radiators: heat output, any cold spots. Thermostat and controls operation. Gas Safety Certificate in date.
Visible pipework condition. Stop valve location and operation. Cold and hot water pressure at taps. Under-sink flexible hoses: condition. Drainage at basins, sinks, and baths: flow rate and trap condition. WC operation.
Consumer unit condition. EICR certificate in date. Evidence of DIY or unsafe electrical work. non-standard accessories, extension lead dependency. Smoke alarms present and tested. Carbon monoxide alarms present where required.
Signs of penetrating damp. water staining on external walls or ceilings. Signs of rising damp. tide marks at low level on walls. Condensation and mould growth. particularly in bathrooms, kitchens, and north-facing bedrooms. Extractor fan operation in wet rooms.
Every defect in the report should carry a priority rating. A simple three-level system works well in practice.
Urgent: action within 48 hours: anything that poses an immediate risk to health or safety, prevents the tenant from using an essential service, or is causing active damage to the property. A boiler failure in winter. Water ingress through the roof. A faulty smoke alarm.
Required: action within 30 days: items that need repair but do not pose an immediate risk. A failed window seal. A dripping tap. A loose handrail.
Monitor: note and review at next inspection: items that are not yet a problem but are showing signs of deterioration. Minor cracking in render. Gutters approaching the point where they need clearing. A boiler approaching its service date.
Inspectors using Quickler complete the property walkaround via WhatsApp. Each checklist item is prompted in sequence. Defect photos are sent directly in the conversation. At the end of the inspection the PDF is generated and delivered to the landlord by one-click email, the same day, before the inspector leaves the area.
Landlords with multiple properties can be given read-only dashboard access. They see the green-amber-red status of every property in their portfolio without needing to chase the inspector for a report.
A property maintenance inspection report should include property address, inspection date, inspector name, condition of external fabric (roof, gutters, walls, windows), condition of M&E systems (heating, plumbing, electrics), internal fabric condition, any defects found with photos, recommended actions with priority ratings, and a summary for the property owner or manager.
There is no statutory interval for general property maintenance inspections. Most letting agents carry out inspections every three to six months during a tenancy. On change of tenancy an inspection should always be carried out. Properties with known issues, damp, ageing M&E, or structural concerns, may warrant more frequent visits.
For straightforward fabric and condition checks, a letting agent or property manager can carry out the inspection. For M&E systems, boilers, electrical installations, plumbing, a qualified tradesperson should inspect the relevant system. The maintenance inspection report pulls together findings across trades into a single document for the property owner.
Yes, and this is increasingly the expectation. A PDF report with timestamped photos is more useful to a landlord than an email summary because it can be filed against the property. Quickler generates the PDF at the end of the inspection and delivers it to the landlord by one-click email without the inspector needing to write up notes separately.
Copy and paste this into the workflow description when you sign up at app.quickler.co/signup:
Property inspection report — copy and paste this at signup: Workflow name: Property inspection Questions: 1. Inspector name and date? 2. Property address and tenant name (if occupied)? 3. External — roof, gutters, walls, windows, doors: any defects? (yes/no + photo + description per item) 4. Internal — damp or mould evidence in any room? (yes/no + photo + location) 5. Plumbing — any leaks, dripping taps, slow drains? (yes/no + location) 6. Heating — boiler operational, thermostat working, radiators heating? (yes/no) 7. Electrics — visible damage to sockets, switches or consumer unit? (yes/no + photo) 8. White goods (if included) — working? (yes/no) 9. Smoke and CO alarms present and tested? (yes/no) 10. General condition rating — good/fair/poor? 11. Actions required — description, priority and estimated cost? 12. Inspector signature?
Quickler reads your description and builds the WhatsApp question sequence. Your engineers answer on site. PDF produced automatically.
Start property inspections →Quickler runs through WhatsApp. No app install. Setup to first live workflow in under a week.