Routine Inspection Checklist for Australian Property Managers (2026)

A routine inspection checklist is not a condition report and should not be treated as one. It is a structured prompt that helps a property manager cover the most important areas of a tenanted property during a periodic visit — systematically rather than from memory.

The purpose of a routine inspection is threefold: to confirm the tenant is maintaining the property in reasonable condition; to identify maintenance or safety issues the tenant may or may not have flagged; and to create a documented record of the property's ongoing condition so that, if questions arise at the end of the tenancy, there is evidence of when issues appeared and how they progressed.

A well-designed checklist helps you move through a property efficiently, catch things you might otherwise overlook (a loose balustrade, early-stage mould in a bathroom corner, a slow-draining sink), and generate a report that is genuinely useful to the landlord rather than a formality that sits unread in a file.

This guide covers what to check in each area of a typical residential property, how to document findings, what to include in the landlord report, and when a finding crosses the line into requiring a breach notice. For the legal requirements that govern when and how often you can inspect — notice periods, frequency caps, delivery methods — see our routine inspection notice guide.

A well-prepared inspection moves faster and produces better records. Before attending, work through four things.

Review the entry condition report. The entry condition report is the baseline against which all changes are measured. Familiarise yourself with any items noted as damaged or below standard at the start of the tenancy so you are not re-flagging pre-existing issues as new damage. If the kitchen benchtop had a chip noted at entry, do not document it again as a new finding at month six.

Check previous routine inspection reports. Identify any issues flagged at the last inspection. Were maintenance requests raised? Were they addressed? Are there any outstanding breach notices that need follow-up? A routine inspection should build on the previous visit, not repeat it from scratch.

Confirm notice was given and can be evidenced. Ensure the notice was issued within the required period for your state and that delivery is evidenced — a timestamped email confirmation, a property management portal receipt, or a signed delivery acknowledgment. If there is any doubt about notice validity, reschedule with fresh valid notice rather than proceeding on uncertain ground. An inspection that cannot be proven to have been properly noticed has limited value as evidence.

Prepare your checklist and camera. Use a consistent template for every inspection of that property so reports are comparable across visits. Charge your phone or camera before leaving the office. Storage space and battery life are the two most common practical problems mid-inspection.

Start outside. The exterior sets the tone for what you will find inside, and problems here are often visible to neighbours and passersby before the landlord is even aware of them.

Gardens and lawn. Is the lawn mowed and not overgrown? Are garden beds maintained or full of weeds? Most tenancy agreements include an obligation to maintain the garden in substantially the same condition as at the start of the tenancy. Compare what you see against the entry condition report photos.

Fencing and gates. Check for broken palings, leaning sections, damaged gate latches, or gaps that affect safety — particularly relevant where a pool is present or young children are listed as occupants.

Driveway and paths. Look for cracks that have grown since the entry report, weeds pushing through pavers, and trip hazards. Cracking concrete is often fair wear and tear rather than tenant damage, but it still needs to be documented and flagged as maintenance.

Gutters and roof. Visually inspect where safely accessible. Blocked gutters and damaged roof tiles are typically landlord maintenance responsibilities, but they need to be identified and acted on promptly to prevent water ingress. Note them in the landlord report, not the breach notice.

Garage. Confirm the garage door operates correctly and that the remote or code is working. Check whether any modifications have been made to the structure. Unauthorised additional vehicles, running a business from the garage, or storing hazardous materials can constitute lease breaches.

Exterior walls and windows. Look for chips, cracks, or damage that were not documented at entry. Note any window damage — cracked panes, damaged fly screens, broken locking mechanisms.

Entry areas and hallways are high-traffic zones that often show the first signs of wear and are among the first areas a landlord will see when they visit the property.

Walls and paintwork. Are there scuffs, marks, or holes from picture hooks that were not present at entry? Minor marks in a long tenancy are fair wear and tear. Larger holes, excessive marks, or unapproved paint changes are a different matter — document them with close-up photos and note their location.

Flooring. Check for chips or cracks in hard floors, and new stains or lifting on carpet. Run a foot along carpet joins and edges to check for lifting at seams — particularly around doorways where foot traffic is heaviest.

Doors and door frames. Confirm all doors open and close smoothly, latches operate correctly, and door frames show no fresh damage. Scuffs to door frames from furniture moves are common in entry areas; note their severity against what was recorded at entry.

Light switches and power points. Test switches and note any that are not working. Damaged or cracked switch plates are a small but genuine maintenance item and should be flagged.

Cupboards or storage (if present). Open and close doors to confirm they operate and that the interiors show no signs of water damage, pest activity, or significant mess.

The kitchen is the highest-risk area for tenant-caused damage and the most carefully scrutinised area in bond claims. Take your time here.

Oven and cooktop. Check the oven interior for grease and carbon buildup beyond normal use. A heavily grease-caked oven that cannot be cleaned to its entry condition is a legitimate bond claim item; document it with photos and specific descriptions. Check cooktop elements or gas burners for damage and test that they operate. Note any cracked or broken burner caps, damage to the cooktop surface, or elements that do not heat.

Rangehood. Check filter condition and confirm the fan operates. A blocked or grease-saturated rangehood filter creates a fire risk and should be flagged as a tenant maintenance item, not left for the landlord to deal with at exit.

Dishwasher (if provided). Check the filter for food debris and confirm the door seal is undamaged. A leaking dishwasher can cause significant cabinetry damage that develops gradually between inspections.

Benchtops and splashbacks. Note any chips, burns, or stains beyond those recorded at entry. Be specific in your notes — location (left side of the benchtop, near the cooktop), size (approximately 3cm chip), and nature (heat burn versus stain).

Sink and tapware. Run the tap and confirm drainage is not slow. Check under the sink for evidence of leaks: staining, warped cabinetry, or a damp smell. A slow or intermittent under-sink leak can cause significant structural damage over months.

Cabinetry. Open and close all doors and drawers. Check hinges and drawer runners for damage. Broken hinges are a maintenance item; drawers ripped from their tracks from excessive force are typically tenant damage.

Living rooms and dining areas are where lifestyle evidence accumulates and where the most common move-out claims originate.

Walls. Heavy marks, holes, or damage from large screen TV mounts or shelving brackets installed without permission are common. Photograph any fresh marks at close range and note their location. The test is always: compare what you see against what the entry condition report documented.

Flooring. High foot-traffic areas show wear that needs to be distinguished from damage. Gradual dulling of floorboards or carpet pile compression in walkways is fair wear and tear. Deep scratches from furniture dragged across floors, burns, or large stains are a different category.

Windows and fly screens. Open and close all windows to confirm they operate, that handles and latches work, and that fly screens are intact. Damaged fly screens are one of the most common minor items flagged at exit; identify them during the tenancy so they can be attributed correctly.

Air conditioning (if provided). Check the unit for obvious physical damage. Note whether the filter is dirty — a dirty filter reducing airflow is typically a tenancy maintenance item that the tenant should be reminded to clean. If the unit is not operating at all, that requires a technician and should be logged as a maintenance request.

Ceiling fans (if provided). Test the fan on all speeds and confirm the blades are intact.

Bedrooms have specific items that are sometimes skipped in rushed inspections but that feature regularly in end-of-tenancy disputes.

Built-in wardrobes. Open all wardrobe doors and drawers. Check runners, tracks, and door alignment. Wardrobe damage — broken tracks, doors off rails, damaged shelving — is one of the most common post-vacancy repair items and is almost always attributable to tenancy rather than fair wear and tear.

Walls. Excessive picture-hook holes are common in bedrooms. One or two hooks per wall in a long tenancy is typically fair wear and tear. A wall with twenty-plus holes or large anchors installed for heavy shelving is a different matter.

Flooring. Check for stains or damage in the specific zones where tenant-caused damage tends to occur: beside the bed (nail varnish spills, water stains from pot plants), near the wardrobe (furniture drag marks), and at the doorway (scuff marks and carpet lifting).

Window locks. Confirm working window locks in all bedrooms, particularly on upper floors. A non-functioning window lock is a safety defect that requires prompt attention from the landlord as a maintenance matter — not a tenant breach.

Water-adjacent areas carry the highest maintenance risk and require the most methodical inspection. Problems that go undetected between visits can cause structural damage that costs far more to repair than early intervention would have.

Mould. Check all grout lines, silicone seals, ceiling surfaces (particularly in corners above the shower), and the areas around the shower recess and bath. Distinguish between early-stage surface mould (a small spot on grout, cleanable) and advancing mould that has penetrated the substrate — the causes and responsibilities differ. See our mould in rental properties guide for the tenancy obligations around mould by state.

Shower and bath seals. Inspect silicone seals around the shower base, bath edges, and all tapware penetrations through tiles. Failing seals allow water to enter the wall and floor cavities. This is typically a landlord maintenance responsibility — failing to act on it creates a compounding problem.

Tapware and shower. Run all taps and showers. Note any drips, poor water pressure, or slow drainage. A dripping tap is a maintenance item the landlord should address; a tap that has been damaged by force is a different issue.

Toilet. Flush to confirm normal operation. A slowly refilling cistern or one that runs continuously wastes water and should be flagged as maintenance. Check the base of the toilet for any staining or movement that could suggest a failing seal.

Exhaust fan. Test the fan for operation and check for lint or dust buildup. A blocked exhaust fan contributes to the moisture conditions that cause mould.

Laundry connections. If washing machine connections are provided, check that the tap turns fully and that connection points show no weeping or corrosion. A slow weep from a washing machine connection fitting can go unnoticed for months.

Safety items are a property manager's shared liability if neglected. Check them at every inspection, not just on an ad-hoc basis, and document what you tested and what the result was.

Smoke alarms. Test every smoke alarm by pressing the test button and confirm it sounds. Replace any alarm that does not respond immediately — this is not a matter to schedule for later. Smoke alarm obligations vary by state: Queensland's requirements around photoelectric alarms, annual testing obligations, and the transition provisions under the 2022 legislation are specific; other states have their own requirements. Confirm your state's current obligations with the relevant regulator and keep a record of when you tested each alarm and what was done. Never remove or disable a smoke alarm during an inspection or for any other reason.

Safety switches (RCDs). Confirm safety switches are present on the electrical board. If you are testing a safety switch by pressing its test button, confirm first that no sensitive equipment — fish tanks, medical devices, incubators — will be affected, and let the tenant know. Absence of safety switches on an older property should be flagged to the landlord as a maintenance priority.

Handrails and balustrades. Apply lateral pressure to handrails on all stairways and to balustrade posts on any deck, balcony, or mezzanine. Movement in a handrail or balustrade is a structural safety defect requiring urgent repair, not a discretionary maintenance note.

Pool and spa (if present). Confirm the pool fence gate is self-closing, self-latching from both directions, and that no items are positioned inside the pool zone that would allow a child to climb the fence. A non-compliant pool barrier requires same-day action and notification to the landlord. Requirements vary by state — in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria, a non-compliant pool barrier is a serious legal exposure for both the property owner and the managing agent. Do not leave this as a standard maintenance note.

Gas fittings. Note any smell of gas or visible interference with flexible gas connectors. If there is any doubt about gas safety, vacate the property and contact the gas supplier before re-entering.

A routine inspection produces a different document than a condition report, but the documentation standard still matters for the situations where it gets relied upon.

Be specific, not vague. "Bathroom in reasonable condition" tells a landlord nothing and provides nothing of value if an issue escalates later. "Grout in the main shower showing early surface mould in the lower 30 centimetres of the rear wall, no penetration evident, recommend professional grout clean and reseal within 30 days" is useful to everyone who reads it.

Photograph issues, not every surface. Unlike a condition report, you do not need a photo of every surface. Focus photos on: anything that has changed since the entry report or last inspection, any maintenance issue you are flagging, any potential lease breach, and any safety item requiring attention. Take a close-up shot and a wider establishing shot showing the location within the room.

Note tenant communication. If you identified an issue and spoke to the tenant about it on the day, note it in the report. "Verbal reminder given to tenant regarding lawn maintenance obligation per tenancy agreement" creates a record. "Tenant confirmed they are aware of the blocked gutter and have a tradie booked for next week" is useful context for the landlord.

Use timestamps that embed automatically. Most inspection apps and smartphone cameras embed timestamps and sometimes GPS coordinates in photo metadata. Use an app that retains this data in the exported report. The metadata can matter if a dispute later turns on when an issue first appeared.

Use consistent terminology across inspections. If you rated the kitchen as "satisfactory" in the first routine inspection, use the same term for a similar standard later. Inconsistent terminology makes it harder to identify genuine deterioration — and makes your reports look inconsistent to anyone reviewing them.

The landlord report after a routine inspection has two audiences: the landlord who wants to know what is happening with their asset, and potentially a tribunal that may read it later.

Keep the language factual. Avoid characterising tenants in subjective or potentially defamatory terms. "Tenant has advised they have been travelling for work for the past six weeks" is appropriate. Language that reflects poorly on a tenant's character rather than describing objective property conditions is not.

Separate issue categories clearly. A well-structured landlord report distinguishes between maintenance required (the landlord's responsibility to arrange and fund), tenant obligations not being met (garden upkeep, lease-specified cleanliness, unauthorised pets), safety items requiring urgent attention, and general condition notes with no action required. Mixing these categories makes it harder for the landlord to prioritise and harder to demonstrate the agency's diligence.

Flag urgent items separately and immediately. A non-compliant pool fence or a missing smoke alarm is not a standard maintenance note in the routine report. It should be communicated to the landlord directly the same day, with a clear statement that action is required urgently. Document that you made this communication and when.

Include the relevant photos. Do not send a landlord a text-only description of a mould patch or a damaged fence paling. Attach the relevant photos. A landlord who can see the issue authorises repair far faster than one working from a description. It also removes any ambiguity about what you mean by "minor" versus "significant."

Confirm action items have an owner. Every maintenance item in the report should have a clear next step: whether the agency is lodging a work order, waiting for the landlord to instruct, or it has already been resolved. Reports that list issues without assigning next steps create follow-up overhead and risk things slipping.

Not every inspection finding requires a breach notice. Distinguishing between what warrants a formal breach and what warrants a written reminder is important — both for the tenant relationship and for the legal record.

A breach notice is appropriate when the tenant has caused damage beyond fair wear and tear that is ongoing; the tenant has unauthorised pets, unauthorised occupants, or has made unapproved modifications; the tenant is failing to maintain the property to the standard required by the tenancy agreement; or a specific lease clause is being actively breached.

A written reminder (not a formal breach) is appropriate when the garden needs some attention but is not severely neglected; there are minor cleanliness observations in an otherwise well-maintained property; or a single appliance has not been cleaned but the property overall is in reasonable order.

Why the distinction matters. Issuing breach notices for minor matters that should be handled by a reminder can be characterised as harassment in some tenancy authority processes. Not issuing breach notices when they are warranted means you have no documented escalation path if the issue persists and a formal proceeding becomes necessary. Each breach notice must comply with your state's required format and remedy period.

Issue promptly after the inspection. If a finding warrants a breach notice, issue it within one or two business days of the inspection rather than bundling it into the routine report. The tenancy clock for remedy periods starts running from the date of service of the notice, not from the date of the inspection. Document which communication you sent, when, and by what method.

Routine inspection records are not the primary basis for bond claims — that role belongs to the entry and exit condition reports. But they serve a valuable supporting function that shapes how disputed claims are resolved at tribunal.

A pattern of documented issues builds the evidentiary narrative. If the second routine inspection notes "light stain on living room carpet, approximately 15 centimetres diameter, tenant advised verbally" and the exit condition report shows the same stain has grown to 40 centimetres with saturation through to the underlay, the progression is documented. That is substantially stronger evidence than an exit report with an unexplained stain and no prior history.

Timing matters more than detail. If damage appears in the exit condition report that the tenant claims was present at entry, a routine inspection report from six months into the tenancy that shows the same area as undamaged is strong counter-evidence. The gap between the entry report and the first inspection is a vulnerability — anything that appears at exit without a documented history between entry and exit is harder to attribute.

The longer the inspection interval, the more each data point matters. Victoria's once-per-six-months inspection limit means a long period without documentation. This is why the quality of both the entry report and each routine inspection report is important — the fewer data points you have, the more each one needs to stand alone.

Routine inspections also identify damage early enough to act on it. If a tenant has caused damage that is visible at month six and you document it and issue a breach notice, you have both the documentation and the opportunity to have the issue remedied before exit. That is a better outcome than discovering six months of unchecked damage at the exit inspection.

For a full account of how condition reports and routine inspections interact in bond disputes, see condition report vs routine inspection.

A good routine inspection checklist is only valuable if it is used consistently across your team and across time. Inconsistency between inspectors or between inspections of the same property creates gaps that are hard to explain when they matter most.

Standardise the template. Every inspector at your agency should use the same inspection checklist for the same property type. Custom checklists per inspector mean different items get checked in different orders and at different levels of detail. It becomes difficult to compare reports across time, and difficult to train new team members on a consistent standard.

Use technology to enforce the process. Purpose-built inspection platforms guide inspectors through a structured template, require photos for flagged items, and generate a consistent report format every time. The alternative — a PDF printout, a shared spreadsheet, or a generic forms tool — relies on inspector discipline that varies under time pressure on a busy inspection day. Platforms built for Australian property management (ConditionHQ, Inspection Manager, SnapInspect, Property Inspect) provide state-specific templates and a structured workflow that removes the need to remember every checklist item from memory.

Review reports before sending. Every routine inspection report should be reviewed by the managing agent before it goes to the landlord. Look for: items marked as inspected with no notes or photos despite the inspection template prompting for them; inconsistencies with previous reports that need an explanation; missing safety items. A two-minute review before sending is far less expensive than a conversation later about something that should have been caught.

Retain reports for the full life of the tenancy and beyond. In all Australian states, property managers should retain inspection records — routine inspection reports, photos, and landlord communications — for the duration of the tenancy and for a reasonable period after it ends. Bond disputes can be raised well after the tenancy concludes, and a clean documentation trail from the first inspection to the last is what protects both the agency and the landlord client.