On the ground: inspections and monitoring

In our ‘on the ground’ series, our Director of Services, Mark Ackroyd, explores some of the details of how our service works. In our last instalment, we looked at how Dot Dot Dot mobilises in large or complex properties. This month, we look at how we use inspections to monitor properties over the life of a contract.

Why inspections matter

When managing voids, an ‘inspection’ is often focused on condition. An ‘inspection’ might be completed in minutes by an operative who is covering a large patch. If you manage residential properties, you might use more intensive inspections that support your compliance regime. In some cases, they might also be part of your system for resident and community liaison.

That last model is more similar to the approach taken by Dot Dot Dot. Although we are managing our clients’ ‘voids’, those properties are also the housing stock that we provide to guardians, and we monitor properties with both of those things in mind.

For Dot Dot Dot, inspections achieve several goals:

• Regular direct contact with our guardians in their own homes
• Confirmation of guardian occupation and compliance
• Actively using our right to enter properties
• Monitoring property condition or changes
• Ensuring safety and compliance.

Because inspections are so key to our operation, we rely on our in-house field team for this work. This team works with our properties and guardians at every step, from initial mobilisation to final vacant possession. We use customised software that allows our team to log inspections directly in the field, providing immediate and auditable inspection information back to head office.

How we inspect

Our normal approach is to use three types of inspections to monitor our properties:

1. Monthly space inspections

We use the word ‘space’ to refer to the part of a property that is allocated to one guardian, whether a room or a larger part of a property. Our unannounced monthly inspections involve checking each space for basic condition and safety, including checks of fire and CO alarms. The main focus is to check that each space is being properly and safely occupied by the correct guardian. 

In most cases, inspections are a chance for a positive interaction with our guardians. Our in-house field team means that guardians can have a conversation with a direct and informed member of our team. Inspections also allow us to identify any issues arising from occupation, and we can quickly escalate any concerns:

• Is there evidence of additional occupants or unaccompanied guests?
• Has the property been left unoccupied without our knowledge and permission?
• Are children staying at the property?
• Might smoking or drug use be happening at the property?
• Is the guardian keeping the property secure?

2. Monthly property checks

Alongside our space inspections, Dot Dot Dot also carries out a larger monthly set of checks at every property. These checks will be familiar to most residential property managers, and include critical condition and safety checks:

• Are exit routes clear and safe?
• Are communal facilities (kitchens, bathrooms, refuse areas) sanitary and in good condition?
• Are doorways and perimeters secure?
• Are communal safety systems functioning correctly?
• Are there evidence of disrepair, vandalism or ASB?

Depending on the property, checks of safety systems could vary from a simple check that shared stairwells are clear, to a full battery of on-site checks covering fire systems, water monitoring, CCTV or other systems. 

In some properties, trained guardians will have specific duties to provide additional monitoring. This could include tasks such as carrying out call-point tests or flushing unused plumbing outlets. Our monthly checks will include checking the guardian logs and escalating any gaps or discrepancies.

These checks are standard across all of our projects, regardless of the formal division of duties between Dot Dot Dot and our clients. This gives us peace of mind that our guardians are in safe homes, and gives our clients the assurance that their properties are being monitored with the diligence required in a residential setting, even if their own records say ‘void’.

3. Quarterly in-depth checks

Every three months, each property is subject to a deep-dive inspection.  This lengthy and detailed inspection includes a rigorous check of compliance, condition, occupation and upkeep.

Taking several hours for our larger properties, these inspections take our staff into every space of a property so that no part of a building is ‘unseen’. We check for changes in property condition, and examine the overall upkeep and hygiene of the property in detail, looking both at guardian activity (such as upkeep of communal areas) and at broader issues such as maintenance needs in gardens or other external areas. We also carry out much more detailed checks of compliance issues, with particular attention to doors, exits, stairways and other structural and safety elements that can deteriorate over time without being easily identified by guardians who live there every day.

Our field software means that our team is guided through each check in detail, and can capture notes and photographs of defects directly into their reports.

These quarterly checks include customised elements where needed, so that we pay special attention to the things that need particular attention for each property. Examples could include accessing client-managed outbuildings, checking ducts or roof spaces, assessing the impact of local ASB, or confirming that contained/managed asbestos remains undisturbed and safe.

Taking a complete view

The three types of inspection described above apply to every area where Dot Dot Dot works. In more complex buildings, they might also be accompanied with other forms of monitoring that the property requires. These can vary from weekly flushing regimes to daily site inspections.

This range of inspections allow us to have a detailed view of each property and of how it is being occupied by our guardians.  It allows us to keep our guardians safe, but also to ensure that our guardians are observing our guidelines. Our team’s visits allow us to develop a good understanding of each project, which can be important in old or unusual properties that might not be a priority for our clients.

As well as monitoring our own performance, our inspections allow us to inform clients of emerging defects or risks, and even to offer insight into issues affecting other local residents that have been hidden from view. The combination of committed guardians, dedicated staff and structured inspections allows us to have a complete view of even the most obscure property.

If you want to find out more about how we work, you can sign up to Meanwhile Thoughts, our monthly newsletter for property owners.