Our State Licensed and County/City Approved Inspectors Will Evaluate Your Units Using County’s Forms to Ensure You Are Ready for Approval.
Rental inspections for move-ins and moves out
Allow us to document the condition of your rental property prior to new occupancy.
Mandatory Inspections
If your county requires it, you must complete a rental inspection on your property before accepting tenants.
In Baltimore, rental inspections are required every two years or between tenants. This is done to ensure the units comply with local regulations and safeguard you in case something goes wrong on your property.
A state-licensed home inspector will be required to evaluate your units while using the forms the county has provided to ensure it is approved. For more information on what yours may require, visit their website.
What Do Rental Inspectors Look For?
As stated above, rental inspections will vary by county and city, but to get a general idea, we’ve pulled examples of requirements from Baltimore City and County’s rental inspection checklists:
Baltimore City Rental Inspection For Baltimore Landlords
Essential Inspection Services can Conduct Baltimore City Rental Inspections, A Requirement For Property Managers To Obtain And Renew A Baltimore City Rental License.
Baltimore City requires the following:
- Railing Is Present For Interior And Exterior Steps With More Than 3 Risers.
- Electrical Live Wires Are Not Visible In Living Areas.
- Electrical Outlets Are Protected By Cover Plates.
- Electrical Outlets In Areas Where Water Is Generally Present (e.g., Bathroom) Are
Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) Protected.
- Smoke Detectors Are Properly Installed And Operational.
- Carbon Monoxide Alarms Are Properly Installed And Operational.
- Plumbing Fixtures Do Not Leak.
- Windows, Which Are Designed To Do So, Should Open And Close And Have A Working Locking
Mechanism.
- The Property Has An Operable Heat Supply System.
- The Interior Of The Property Is Clean And Sanitary.
- The Interior Of The Property Appears To Be Free Of Signs Of Infestation By Rodents, Insects, Or Pests.
- If There Is A Bedroom In The Basement, There Is Proper Egress In Case Of Fire.
- The Exterior Is Free Of Rodent Burrows.
Essential Inspection Services can conduct Baltimore County Rental Inspections, A Requirement For Property Managers To Obtain And Renew A Baltimore County Rental License.
Baltimore County requires the following:
- Hardwired & Battery Backed Interconnected Smoke Detectors Present And Operational. Wireless Remote Interconnection Is Acceptable As Long As The Smoke Detectors Are Hardwired And Approved By A Recognized Testing Lab Such As UL And Be Listed And Approved For Sale, Installation And Use In Maryland By The Office Of The State Fire Marshal.
Single Family Home
- A Hardwired Smoke Detector With A Battery Backup Must Be Located In The Corridor Or Hallway Outside Of Sleeping Areas.
- If The Home Has A Basement, A Hardwired Smoke Detector With A Battery Backup Must Also Be Located In The Basement, And Must Be Interconnected To The Smoke Detectors Outside Of The Sleeping Areas.
Homes With 2 Or 3 Apartments
- A Hardwired Smoke Detector With A Battery Backup Must Be Located In The Corridor Or Hallway Outside Of Sleeping Areas.
- If The Home Has A Basement, A Hardwired Smoke Detector With A Battery Backup Must Also Be Located In The Basement, But Only Has To Be Interconnected To The Smoke Detector On The First Floor.
Homes With 4-6 Apartments
- A Hardwired Smoke Detector With A Battery Backup Must Be Located In The Corridor Or Hallway Outside Of Sleeping Areas In Each Unit.
- No Smoke Detector Is Required In The Basement For Homes With 4-6 Apartments.
Smoke Detectors Must Be UL Approved
- Electrical Wires Are Not Visible In Living Areas.
- There Is Hot And Cold Running Water In Kitchen And Each Bathroom With No Leaks Below Sink Area And All Toilets Flush.
- There Are No Sleeping Areas In The Basement Or If There Is A Sleeping Area In The Basement, There Is A Secondary Means Of Escape As Follows: Basement Window With Minimum 5.5 Ft Opening With Sill Height 44 Inches Or Less From Floor OR Basement Door With Thumb Turn Dead Bolt.
- The Furnace Is Either Operational Or Because Of Outside Temperatures It Is Unable To Be Tested.
- Railing Is Present For Interior And Exterior Steps With More Than 3 Risers.
- Are There Any Other Readily Observable Problems That In The Inspector’s Opinion Represent An Immediate Threat To The Health Or Safety Of Occupants?
