How Can We Continue To Manage Our Properties Without Direct Access?

Many of our customers are asking how they can still use PIM as part of their Routine Inspection Process during the COVID-19 Crisis. Others are wondering what options they have to conduct remote inspections more generally.

Below are our suggestions.

We’re here to help - so if you’d like to know more contact us at support@propertyinspectionmanager.com

Our Suggestions
 
Postpone The Inspection
If the property is being managed well by the tenant, you may decide to postpone inspections for a while or skip until the next inspection date.
 
Tenant Walkthroughs Taking Photos or Using Video
Ask your tenant to report back on the property. Use your previous Routine Inspection in PIM as a reference and ask your tenant to give feedback on specific aspects, questions or even conduct a 'walk through' using videos such as FaceTime (iOS only), Zoom (iOS and Android) or  WhatsApp (iOS and Android) or other video apps. Another option is to ask the tenant for 2-3 specific photos or notes to be sent to you as they walk around for each room

You can still use PIM on your device in the office or at home and insert photos sent from your tenant once imported into your devices' camera roll (If you are not sure how to add photos from your photo library, follow our simple guide and scroll down to option 3). You can add comments using Siri, Shorthand Notes or the keyboard as usual and then submit your report. If you are using PropertyMe, Re-Leased, PropertyTree, Chintaro, Liquid Palace or Cirrus8 your reports will be uploaded as usual. This way you retain your report look and process and your Landlords and Tenants will receive communications in the way they are used to. If the tenant has sent video links, these too can be included in your final report. Read more about embedding video links in PIM. 
Ask us about setting up a Virtual Inspections report template for your office. Refer to our Report Gallery for a sample. 
 
Tenant Walkthrough Using PIM
We've also made a few changes to the PIM Guest app, to allow Tenants to create up to 3 Routine Inspection reports for FREE during this period of uncertainty. You can ask your Tenant to conduct their own Tenant Assisted inspection and then send the Inspection directly to yourself the property manager. Here's how.

1. If your Tenant has an iPhone or iPad, they can download PIM for FREE from the App Store and sign in as a guest.

2. In Settings, ask them to set up a second email address in Inspectors so that submitted email reports will go to them and to you. Ask them to select the PIM Virtual Inspection Report template.

3. Using your previous inspection report, decide what information you would like the tenant to capture. e.g. a simple reference to previous areas of concern or a room by room comment and photos. Email or talk the tenant through what they need to capture.

4. The Tenant can take photos in PIM in the correct room or area and make comments. Once an inspection is ready, they can send the inspection directly to yourself the property manager (which includes all the notes and photos) using our new feature called Send Inspection to Property Manager, detailed in the link below. We have a handy guide on how to import your Inspections sent by your Tenant, find out more here.

We have detailed instructions for you as a Property Manager to send through to your Tenants to help you. Find out more here.