A compiled reference of 19 verified statistics on routine rental property inspections: how often landlords and agents actually inspect, what landlords check before a new let, the legal ceiling on inspection frequency in four jurisdictions, and the notice rules in eight. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (an insurer survey of 500 landlords, England's national landlord survey, and the statutes and regulator guidance themselves) and independently checked before publishing.
Key statistics
6 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Most Australian landlords surveyed are on a six-monthly or quarterly inspection cycle, and in England nearly nine in ten inspect a property before a new let. What varies wildly is the law: the ceiling on routine inspections runs from 2 a year to 13 a year depending on where the property sits, and notice runs from 24 hours to 7 days.
84% of Australian landlords surveyed have their rental inspected at least every six months.
Six-monthly is the most common inspection cycle, at 46% of Australian landlords surveyed.
86% of English landlords inspected their latest let for fitness for habitation.
Legal caps on routine inspections run from 2 a year to 13 a year.
New South Wales allows up to 4 inspections a year, each on 7 days' written notice.
In England, Ontario and California, the standard is 24 hours' written notice.
How we built this report
Every figure was compiled in October 2026 from named public sources and verified against the original before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
An insurer-commissioned landlord survey, the UK government's English Private Landlord Survey, the statutes themselves (England, Ontario, California, Florida) and the official tenancy regulators of New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, attributed inline. The two computed figures are labeled Computed and show their arithmetic.
- Rules quoted, not summarized from blogs
Landlord blogs disagree on notice periods; every legal rule here was read on the regulator's own page or in the statute text.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope: these figures cover routine inspections during a residential tenancy, not move-in or move-out condition reports, purchase home inspections, or city-mandated code inspections (see our rental inspection ordinance statistics for those). The frequency survey is Australian and self-reported; no national US survey of inspection frequency was found. Legal rules are summaries of the general case, not legal advice, and change; check the current rule for your jurisdiction.
Rental property inspections, by the numbers
All 19 figures, grouped by theme, each from a named public source and independently verified.
How often rentals are inspected in practice
According to QBE (qbe.com), which commissioned a survey of 500 Australian landlords in April 2025 and asked how often their real estate agent inspected their rental, the six-monthly inspection is the norm and the quarterly inspection a close second. QBE is a landlord insurer, so it has an interest in regular inspections; the split itself is what landlords reported.
Statistic 1
38% of Australian landlords had quarterly inspections of their rental property.
QBE landlord survey, n=500 (2025)
Statistic 2
46% had inspections every six months, the most common cycle.
QBE landlord survey, n=500 (2025)
Statistic 3
13% had annual inspections.
QBE landlord survey, n=500 (2025)
Statistic 4
3% had no regular inspections or did not know the arrangements.
QBE landlord survey, n=500 (2025)
Statistic 5
84% of surveyed Australian landlords had their property inspected at least every six months (38% quarterly plus 46% six-monthly).
RapidEye Research, computed from QBE (2025)
What this means: a landlord on the most common cycle sees the inside of the property twice a year, so anything that happens between visits can sit unseen for up to six months.
What landlords in England check before a new let
According to the English Private Landlord Survey 2024, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (gov.uk), most landlords report doing the condition and safety checks the law requires for their most recent tenancy, and compliance on electrical safety has risen sharply since 2018.
Statistic 6
86% of landlords in England carried out an inspection for their most recent let to ensure the property was fit for human habitation.
English Private Landlord Survey (2024)
Statistic 7
84% ensured a visual check of the electrical installation and appliances was carried out, up from 82% in 2018.
English Private Landlord Survey (2024)
Statistic 8
94% had the electrical installation checked by a qualified tester, up from 78% in 2018.
English Private Landlord Survey (2024)
Statistic 9
61% had electrical appliances checked by a qualified tester, up from 49% in 2018.
English Private Landlord Survey (2024)
Statistic 10
5% of landlords had been issued a fine, penalty or formal notice, or received an inspection from a local authority.
English Private Landlord Survey (2024)
What this means: the pre-let inspection is the norm in England (86%); the gap is in what happens between lets, which is exactly what the frequency caps below govern.
Legal caps on how often a landlord can inspect
Where frequency is capped, the cap comes from the tenancy regulator. Per Tenancy Services (tenancy.govt.nz), the NSW Government (nsw.gov.au), the Residential Tenancies Authority (rta.qld.gov.au) and Consumer Affairs Victoria (consumer.vic.gov.au):
Statistic 11
New Zealand: routine inspections at most once every 4 weeks, with at least 48 hours’ notice and no more than 14 days in advance, between 8am and 7pm.
Tenancy Services, New Zealand
Statistic 12
New South Wales: up to 4 inspections in a 12-month period, with at least 7 days’ written notice each time.
NSW Government
Statistic 13
Queensland: routine inspections no more than once every 3 months unless the tenant agrees in writing, with at least 7 days’ notice.
Residential Tenancies Authority, Queensland
Statistic 14
Victoria: a general inspection only after the first 3 months of the agreement and at most every 6 months, with 7 days’ notice.
Consumer Affairs Victoria
Statistic 15
The legal ceiling on routine inspections ranges from 2 a year in Victoria to 13 a year in New Zealand, a 6.5x spread.
RapidEye Research, computed from the four rules above
What this means: the same six-monthly habit is the legal maximum in Victoria and a small fraction of what New Zealand allows. The arithmetic: Victoria permits one inspection per 6 months (2 a year), New Zealand one per 4 weeks (52 / 4 = 13 a year).
Notice rules where frequency is not capped
In England, Ontario, California and Florida the law sets notice and reasonableness rather than a number of inspections per year. Sources: the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (legislation.gov.uk), Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (ontario.ca), the California Civil Code (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) and the Florida Statutes (leg.state.fl.us).
Statistic 16
England: a landlord may enter to view condition and state of repair at reasonable times on 24 hours’ notice in writing.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11(6)
Statistic 17
Ontario: entry to inspect whether a unit is in a good state of repair requires written notice at least 24 hours before entry, and the inspection must be reasonable.
Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, s.27
Statistic 18
California: 24 hours of written notice is presumed reasonable; a mailed notice sent at least six days ahead is presumed reasonable.
California Civil Code §1954
Statistic 19
Florida: a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter to inspect; notice for repairs is at least 24 hours, between 7:30am and 8pm.
Florida Statutes §83.53
What this means: in these places the practical limit on inspections is reasonableness and the tenant relationship, not a statutory count; the common thread is 24 hours of notice, in writing.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How often do landlords inspect rental properties?
In a QBE survey of 500 Australian landlords in April 2025, 38% had quarterly inspections, 46% had inspections every six months, 13% had annual inspections and 3% had no regular inspections or did not know. That puts 84% on a cycle of six months or shorter.
How often can a landlord legally inspect a rental property?
It depends on the jurisdiction. New Zealand allows a routine inspection at most once every 4 weeks, New South Wales up to 4 times in 12 months, Queensland once every 3 months, and Victoria once every 6 months after the first 3 months of the agreement. That is a legal ceiling of between 2 and 13 routine inspections a year.
How much notice does a landlord have to give before an inspection?
Notice rules vary: 7 days in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, at least 48 hours (and no more than 14 days) in New Zealand, and 24 hours in writing in England and Ontario. In California, 24 hours of written notice is presumed reasonable.
Do landlords in England inspect their properties?
According to the English Private Landlord Survey 2024, 86% of landlords said they carried out an inspection for their most recent let to ensure the property was fit for human habitation, and 84% ensured a visual check of the electrical installation and appliances.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing.
QBE InsuranceLandlord survey, 500 landlords (2025)qbe.com
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentEnglish Private Landlord Survey 2024gov.ukUK legislationLandlord and Tenant Act 1985legislation.gov.uk
Tenancy ServicesLandlord inspection rulestenancy.govt.nz
NSW GovernmentMinimum notice periods for accessnsw.gov.au
Consumer Affairs VictoriaRental provider entry rightsconsumer.vic.gov.au
Government of OntarioResidential Tenancies Act, 2006ontario.ca
Florida LegislatureFlorida Statutes, landlord accessleg.state.fl.us