MULTI-FAMILY INSPECTIONS
Bob Mulloy, a licensed MA home inspector, has years of experience inspecting multi-family homes and can help you decide if the investment is the right one for you. Purchasing a multi-family home to generate income or to shelter your family is a large investment that merits your due-diligence investigation as to the rules & regulations governing a landlord and tenant rights.
DO NOT accept anyone’s verbal disclosure that the property is a legal multi-family home. DO GO the local building department and verify with the city officials what the true zoning for the property is. I have seen misrepresentations and fraudulent disclosures result in legal claims when it comes to zoning errors. DO GO to the local Board of Health and review the historical file for the home. Ask when the last health department inspection was completed and whether or not there are any complaints by tenants or violations on file. Investigations are your responsibility, and I advise that you also review the following web sites:
Landlord Rights & Responsibilities (type LANDLORD under search)
Laws About Tenant/Landlord Rights
MA Court System Housing Court Forms
Once you research has progressed to the point of an offer and acceptance, you should contact a professional home inspector to fully evaluate the property. Scheduling the inspecting of multi-family home can be a bit more of a problem as the tenants must be given 24-hours notice, and the inspector needs access to all parts of the building, including basements, crawl spaces and attics. You should also anticipate the inspection taking longer that that of a single family home, because of the additional systems that require evaluation and reporting. Your broker will be familiar with such scheduling needs and will assist you, but you should still diplomatically remind him of her of the inspector’s need for access. Encountering irate tenants who were not notified or refuse access is an unfortunate occurrence that will limit the inspection and still cost you money.
Plan on accompanying me throughout the inspection, and I will explain the significance of each problem and explain how the systems work and how to maintain the property. To me, the building is a big mystery book, and together we will read each chapter until we both reach “the end.” By the conclusion, you will know all of the facts as disclosed by an unbiased professional home inspector, and can proceed to make intelligent decisions with confidence, or to retract your offer and search for a different multi-family home. Hire the best MA home inspector you can find.
GENERAL ADVICE WHEN BECOMING A LANDLORD
Some important things to know about purchasing a Multi-Family Home
CALL 508-378-7170 NOW to schedule a multi-family home inspection