The importance of annual inspections

One of the major reasons why the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) created the Certified Rental Building Program (CRBP) was to help ensure a good quality of life for tenants in certified buildings.One of the program’s Standards of the Practice is that the property manager must carry out an annual suite inspection program at each building. The inspection is for the purpose of determining whether or not the rental unit is in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, has working smoke alarms, and complies with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.Apartment buildings that qualify under the program comply with the conditions stipulated in the Residential Tenancies Act, which protects renters’ safety and privacy. Interestingly, this Act also outlines tenant responsibilities, and there are many. It’s a matter of respect that has to go both ways to make a building work well. One example is providing access to your apartment when necessary, especially for the purposes of an annual suite inspection.Your property manager (landlord) must give you 24 hours written notice of entry, stipulating the reason and the time (which has to be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.). He/she should be able to expect co-operation on your part with proper notification. Remember that although your apartment is your “home,” it actually belongs to someone else who has the right to protect that investment and ensure the best welfare of all.“There are valid reasons why a property manager may need to enter your apartment,” says Lynzi Michal, FRPO’s manager of Operations and Member Services. “It may be a case of completing necessary repairs or replacing items, checking the smoke alarm and replacing the battery, or conducting an annual inspection that determines immediate and preventative maintenance needs. This is a very important part of running an efficient and safe apartment building.”A potential mortgagee or insurer of the apartment complex may also need to look inside the apartments to ensure that it is fit for habitation and complies with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.“Renters also need to be aware that a landlord may enter a rental apartment at any time without written notice in cases of emergency, or if tenants consent to entry at the time they are approached,” says Vince Brescia, FRPO’s president. “When there is a good cause, it benefits everyone involved to co-operate with entry.”Most apartment dwellers want to live in an apartment-home that is being properly maintained by the property manager. The annual suite inspection program helps to ensure the quality of rental product is being consistently maintained. Prospective renters are well advised to ensure that the apartment building they are considering to live in carries out annual inspection program as part of their ongoing operations and maintenance activities.You will also find valid information at frpo.org, the site of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario, which created the Certified Rental Building Program (CRBP) to help apartment-seekers find buildings that meet certain standards of quality and service. For more information visit crbprogram.or