Inspections: how-to

Step-by-step instructions for every inspection task. For what each option means, see Inspections; for problems, see Inspections: troubleshooting.

Find your task

If you’re here because…	Go to
You’re setting up inspections for a property, or for all of them	Set up inspection reminders
The property has no Inspection panel	Switch Inspection on for a property
You’ve just inspected a whole property	Record a property inspection
You’ve just inspected one room	Record a room inspection
You have an “Inspection Due” Action	Clear an Inspection Due Action
You’re moving to COHO and have past inspection reports	Record a property inspection, with the original date
You need to add photos or correct notes	Edit or remove an inspection
You entered the wrong date or room	Edit or remove an inspection
You’re looking for an old report	Find past inspections
The owner or a tenant wants the report	Share an inspection report
You found repairs to do	Raise repairs from an inspection
Tenants need notice of your visit	Tell tenants about a visit
You want a clerk or contractor to do the inspection	Send an inspection to a supplier
You want a check a few months after each move-in	Remind yourself about a tenancy inspection
You want the same checklist every time	Add a checklist to Inspection Due Actions
You no longer inspect a property	Switch inspection reminders off

Switch Inspection on for a property

Do this when a property page has no Inspection panel.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections.

1. Open the property and scroll to Services at the bottom.
2. Under Inactive services, find Inspection and click Read more.
3. Choose Manual.
4. Tick I agree to the terms & conditions. Tick Set as default for future properties if you want new properties to start the same way.
5. Choose the frequency and reminder (see Set up inspection reminders), and click Save.

What happens next: the Inspection panel appears on the property and, for multi-let and block properties, on each room. If no property inspection is recorded yet, COHO raises an Inspection Due Action asking you to add one.

Set up inspection reminders

Do this when you set up a property, or change how often you inspect.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections, and Inspection must be on for the property.

1. Open the property and click the settings cog on its Inspection panel.
2. Check that Manual is selected.
3. For How regularly do you want to carry out inspections?, choose the frequency, for example 6 months.
4. For How many weeks before it’s due should we remind you?, choose a period shorter than the frequency, for example 2 weeks.
5. Tick Create maintenance issue automatically if you want a maintenance issue each time, for example to send the job to a clerk.
6. To use the same settings everywhere, tick Save for all properties (or Save for all properties in this building).
7. Click Save. If you ticked a “Save for all” option, confirm.

What happens next: the panel shows “The next inspection is due on [date]”, counted from the latest property inspection. The Inspection Due Action appears when you reach the reminder period.

Caution

Save for all properties copies the whole form, including Off. Saving from a property where Inspection is off switches it off across your portfolio.

Record a property inspection

Do this after you inspect the whole property, including any communal areas.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections. Have your photos and report ready to upload.

1. Open the property and open its Inspection panel.
2. Click Property Inspection.
3. Set Date completed to the day of the inspection (not the day you’re recording it).
4. Type your findings in Notes.
5. Under Files, add your photos, videos, report or completed checklist.
6. Click Add.

What happens next: the inspection appears in the list, and the next due date moves on. Any open Inspection Due Action for the property clears within a few moments. Owners who have joined COHO can see the inspection in their account.

Tip

If you’re bringing in past reports, add the most recent one with its real date. That’s the one COHO uses to work out the next due date.

Record a room inspection

Do this after you inspect one room in a multi-let or block property.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections.

1. Open the room and open its Inspection panel.
2. Click Room Inspection.
3. Set Date completed, add Notes and Files.
4. Click Add.

What happens next: the inspection appears on the room’s panel, and on the property’s panel with the room named. It doesn’t change the property’s due date or clear an Inspection Due Action.

Clear an Inspection Due Action

Do this when you see an “Inspection Due” Action, or the panel says an inspection is due or overdue.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections. To record it from inside the Action, you also need edit permission for Actions.

1. Arrange and carry out the inspection (see Tell tenants about a visit).
2. Open the Action. It says “Your property is due an inspection”.
3. Fill in Date completed, Notes and Files, and click Add. Or record a property inspection from the property page.

What happens next: the Action clears and the next due date is set. You can’t mark the Action done without recording an inspection. If you don’t inspect this property any more, switch inspection reminders off.

Edit or remove an inspection

Do this to add photos, correct notes, or fix a wrong date or room.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Inspections.

1. Find the inspection on the property, room or organisation panel, and click View.
2. To change notes or files, click Edit. Change the Notes, add files, or remove a file, then click Save.
3. To fix the date or room, click Remove and confirm Remove. Then add it again in the right place with the right date.

What happens next: edits show straight away. Removing an inspection recalculates the due date, so an Inspection Due Action may come back.

Find past inspections

Do this to find a report, or check what was inspected in a period.

Before you start: you need view permission for Inspections.

1. From your dashboard, click Menu > Inspections.
2. Choose a date range, for example Last year, or set your own dates.
3. Use All properties to pick properties.
4. Click Filter.
5. Click a column heading to sort, and View to open an inspection.

What happens next: you can view or download the files. For one property, its own Inspection panel shows the last 5 years.

Share an inspection report

Do this when the owner or a tenant asks for the report.

1. Owner: if they have joined COHO, they already see it on their property page under Inspection, with notes and files. If not, download the files from the inspection and send them yourself.
2. Tenant: download the report from the inspection. Open the tenant’s room, then its Communications panel. Under Notices, click Send document and attach it. You can also attach it to a message.

What happens next: COHO doesn’t notify the owner when you add an inspection, so tell them if they’re expecting it.

Raise repairs from an inspection

Do this when you find something that needs fixing.

1. Record the inspection first, with photos of the problem.
2. Go to the property’s Maintenance panel and add a maintenance issue for each repair. Attach the relevant photos.
3. Mention the issue in the inspection’s notes if you want a link between the two.

What happens next: the repair follows the normal maintenance process. See Maintenance.

Tell tenants about a visit

Do this before any inspection of an occupied property or room.

1. Check the notice your tenancy agreement and the law require. In England this is usually at least 24 hours’ written notice, at a reasonable time.
2. Send the notice from COHO: a message to the tenants, or a letter with Send document in the room’s Communications panel. Both keep a record.
3. Record the inspection after the visit.

What happens next: Inspections itself sends nothing to tenants, before or after a visit.

Send an inspection to a supplier

Do this when an inventory clerk or contractor carries out your inspections.

1. In the property’s Inspection settings, tick Create maintenance issue automatically, and Save.
2. When the next Inspection Due Action appears, COHO raises an “Inspection Review” maintenance issue.
3. Open that issue in Maintenance and send it to your supplier.
4. When you get their report, record a property inspection with it.

What happens next: the Inspection Due Action clears when you record the inspection. Complete the maintenance issue separately. You can’t assign an inspection itself to a supplier.

Remind yourself about a tenancy inspection

Do this when you want a check at a fixed time after move-in, for example 3 months.

1. On your Actions panel, click Add Action.
2. Choose Single Action.
3. Give it a title, for example “3-month inspection – Room 2”, and set the due date.
4. Assign it to the right person, and save.

What happens next: the Action reminds you on the date. COHO’s own Inspection Due reminder still follows the last property inspection, not the tenancy. For a reminder that repeats on a fixed pattern, use Recurring Actions in the Actions panel’s settings instead.

Add a checklist to Inspection Due Actions

Do this to give your team the same steps every time an inspection is due.

Before you start: you need edit permission for Actions.

1. On your Actions panel, click the settings cog to open Action Settings, then open Workflow Templates.
2. Add a template and choose Built-in action. Under Select the action type, choose Inspection Due.
3. Name it and add your Workflow steps, Additional instructions and Additional files, for example your blank inspection form.
4. Tick Always use this workflow for actions of this type to add it automatically.

What happens next: new Inspection Due Actions come with your checklist. The inspection is still recorded on the Inspection panel.

Tip

To send every Inspection Due Action to the same person, set up Automatic Action Assignments in the same Action Settings.

Switch inspection reminders off

Do this when you no longer inspect a property, for example when you stop managing it.

1. Open the property’s Inspection settings from the settings cog.
2. Choose Off, and click Save. Make sure Save for all properties isn’t ticked unless you mean it.

What happens next: the panel and reminders stop and any open Inspection Due Action clears. Inspections already recorded are kept and come back if you switch it on again. The owner’s Inspection panel is hidden too.