Maintaining a property takes a ton of work.
And if not handled right, repair costs can eat into your profits– big time.
But property tech is quickly advancing, and a variety of property inspection apps are helping property managers and landlords stay on top of maintenance and avoid potential issues.
If you're a property manager or landlord looking for help getting your regular property inspections done in less time and with less hassle, read on.
Below, you'll find everything you need to know about what inspection apps offer and your options.
What are property inspection apps?
Property inspection apps are online inspection tools you can access on your computer and smartphone (depending on the app).
Typically, they allow you to inspect a property and generate professional home inspection reports in minutes, simplifying the process greatly.
They eliminate the use of paper documents, including photos taken during the inspection process. Furthermore, you can record any repair or maintenance issues noted in a unit and indicate the party responsible for fixing them.
The inspection app will help you correlate your notes and pictures to the unit's current condition and determine if the tenant is liable for any fixes.
In addition, inspection apps allow you to conveniently manage inspections for multiple properties from a single centralized location, making everything easier.
*To become a real property maintenance wizard, check out our complete guide to rental inspections: How to Do a Rental Property Inspection: A Complete Guide.
Features to look for in a property inspection app
Depending on your use case and objectives, different property inspection apps will work better than others.
Some come with only the bare minimum features, which might work in some instances, while others have all the bell whistles, that make managing your properties effortless and seamless.
Below are some of the features you'll likely want:
1. A way to easily complete an inspection in minutes with all your preferred line items
The app has to be easy to use and it needs to offer a way for you to customize what line items you want to check during your inspection.
Ideally, you have access to templates or pre-filled pages that you can easily just edit quickly without having to make your own.
Any software you use should make property management easier, not harder (the initial learning curve aside). Keep this top of mind as you're trying different tools out.
2. Produces easy-to-read inspection reports after a completed inspection
Some inspection apps are easier to read than others, and not every app creates great-looking inspection reports.
How easy an app's reports are to read is really the second of the two most important parts of any good app.
If the reports aren't comprehensive or don't display information well, it largely defeats the point of using one.
3. Smartphone/Tablet compatible
Having a mobile app is a must for any type of inspection tool. Ideally, for both Apple and Android smartphones in case you ever switch from what you use now.
However, if the app offers access to the platform you use now, that should suffice.
Mobile inspection apps give you the ability to do inspections on the go anywhere you are without having to carry around a huge clipboard or laptop.
Android and IOS access is a big plus, particularly because carrying a laptop around is less than ideal.
The user interface should also display and work well on both devices to ensure a good user experience. If you can barely use the app on mobile, that isn't much better than there being no mobile access in the first place.
The 3 Best Property Inspection Software
1. Tap Inspect
Tap inspect is a simple mobile app with lots of useful features. If mobile inspections are a focus for you, this is one of the easiest to use.
It has a straightforward interface so you can complete inspections faster, has easy access to data, and generates a report as soon as you complete an inspection.
The app is on the simpler side, but if all you need is an app that makes inspections easier, it does its job well.
2. zInspector
One of the best among the mobile inspection apps on the market, if access is your property, zInspector offers a desktop, tablet, and smartphone version.
It's designed specifically for each platform, so no matter your preference the app is easy to use and create reports for.
3. HappyCo
HappyCo is our final inspection app, and it offers a sleek modern design that's just as easy to use as the first two.
Where it differs is in its list of features and pricing. It offers a larger list of features than the first two options, such as asset management tools, but it also comes in at a higher price tag.
You'll need to review what features HappyCo offers to decide for yourself if the extra tools are worth the price.
Make all your property maintenance easier with DoorLoop
Property maintenance, from preventative maintenance to managing work orders, takes a lot of work.
However, with the right processes and tools- such as any one of the mobile inspection apps we listed here to complete inspections more easily– you can make that whole process a little bit easier.
To take things to a completely different level, though, you can bring the same level of efficiency and streamlining to everything you do with DoorLoop's all-in-one property management software, which allows you to:
- Keep all your tenant's information from one convenient, central location
- Manage all your maintenance requests and work orders from one dashboard
- Receive maintenance requests from tenants straight from the app
- Assign to vendors, communicate with tenants, and pay out vendors
- Manage workflows to easily maintain a regular maintenance schedule
- And much more
Schedule a free demo to see what DoorLoop can do for your property maintenance and management today.