Rental Inspection Checklist Tasmania: Pre-Tenancy and Routine Inspections

What to Check Before You Rent Out a Property

Tasmania's Part 3B minimum standards under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 require every rental property to meet seven statutory standards before a tenant moves in. A pre-tenancy inspection is the practical mechanism for verifying compliance.

Walk through each standard systematically:

1. Weatherproofing and structure (s. 36I) — roof, gutters, external walls and windows prevent water and draught entry; floors, stairs, and plasterboard are intact
2. Cleanliness (s. 36J) — premises are clean, free of vermin, rubbish and accumulated grime
3. Bathroom and toilet (s. 36K) — working flush toilet in a private room, private bathroom with washbasin and shower or bath, continuous hot and cold water
4. Cooking facilities (s. 36L) — functioning cooktop (2+ elements for 1–2 bedrooms, 3+ for 3+ bedrooms), working oven, kitchen sink with hot and cold water
5. Heating (s. 36M) — fixed heater in the main living area (wall-mounted, floor-fixed or built-in; portable heaters don't count; open fireplaces don't qualify)
6. Window coverings (s. 36N) — curtains or blinds in all bedrooms and living rooms
7. Ventilation (s. 36O) — openable windows at least 5% of floor area in habitable rooms, lockable in a 15 cm open position; exhaust fans in windowless wet areas

Add smoke alarms (Part 3A): compliant with AS 3786, mains-powered or 10-year sealed lithium battery, tested and not expiring within 30 days of the tenancy start.

Routine Inspections During a Tenancy

Once a tenant is in place, you're allowed to inspect the property at regular intervals, but the Act restricts both frequency and notice:

• Maximum frequency: one inspection every three months, plus one additional inspection allowed in the first month of the tenancy
• Notice requirement: minimum 24 hours' written notice before entry

Use routine inspections to check that smoke alarms still function, ventilation fans work, there's no emerging mould or structural damage, and the tenant is maintaining cleanliness to a reasonable standard.

Entry Notice Rules

Beyond routine inspections, a landlord can enter for other specified reasons, each with its own notice period:

• Pre-exit showings (prospective buyers or tenants): minimum 48 hours' written notice, limited to once per day, no more than 5 days per week, between 8 AM and 6 PM
• Emergency entry: no notice required where there's immediate risk of injury, flooding, fire, structural collapse, or reasonable suspicion of abandonment

Entering without proper notice breaches the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment under Section 55. The maximum fine for unlawful entry is 50 penalty units — $10,650 at the current rate.

Documenting What You Find

An inspection is only as useful as the records it produces. For pre-tenancy inspections, the documentation feeds directly into the ingoing condition report — which you must provide in duplicate on or before the day the tenant collects keys. The tenant then has two business days to annotate and return one copy.

For routine inspections, keep a dated log noting:

• Any maintenance issues identified
• Whether smoke alarms passed the function test
• The general condition of fixtures, appliances and window coverings
• Photographs of anything that's changed since the last inspection

This documentation becomes your evidence if a bond dispute or repair complaint reaches the Residential Tenancy Commissioner.

Our Tasmania rental minimum standards guide includes a printable pre-letting audit checklist covering every Part 3B standard, plus a condition report photography guide so your evidence holds up.

See more Tasmania guides →