That time I messed up a rental inspection in under 5 minutes

Back when I first started managing properties (about 7 years ago in Phoenix), I had to do a move-out inspection on a unit that looked perfect at first glance. I mean, the tenant had cleaned everything, walls looked great, carpets were spotless. So I signed off on the full deposit return without actually checking the AC filter or running the dishwasher, you know? Well, two days later the new tenant called me at 9pm saying the fridge was leaking water everywhere. Turns out the old tenant had shoved a rag in the drain line to stop a slow leak and just left it. I had to eat the $175 service call cost out of my own pocket because my boss said I should have caught it. Now I run every appliance and check every vent before I sign anything. Has anyone else overlooked something small that cost you later on?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanc2911d ago

Question if it's really worth getting that bent out of shape over... I mean yeah you lost $175 but that's just part of the gig sometimes, right?

craig.grant11d ago

Oh man, that rag in the drain line is such a classic "looks fine on the surface" trap! It reminds me of how we do this same thing all the time in regular life too, like trusting a used car just because it's been washed and detailed, or thinking a house is solid because the paint is fresh. We skip the little checks because everything looks good upfront, and then something hidden comes back to bite us. I've definitely bought a used phone that looked mint, only to have the battery die in three months because I didn't check the cycle count. It's like our brains are wired to trust the shiny surface and forget that all the real problems live underneath.