The REAC Guru Bulletin Board

(In reference to the mouse and cheese video)
In the event the inspector is directed by the tenant in the unit to view a deficiency in another room
upon entering the unit, would you recommend once done discussing the issue with the tenant, to
begin where you currently are or start from the front door and continue to follow the wall to the left
or right? Example, I enter and the tenant takes me to the Master Bedroom to discuss a deficiency,
would it be recommended to continue the inspection from the master bedroom following the wall or
resume from the front door?

No offense intended, but you are making a mistake here in your thinking as you ask this question.

A resident does not direct us to do anything - they may ask us or suggest that we do something.

They may try to misdirect us, but they do not direct us.

When I am the inspector, and a resident says they want to show me something, I tell the resident
“Thank you, I’ll be happy to have a look at that when I get to it, but I have to follow a kind of system to
make sure I don’t miss anything else. Just point it out when I get there, please.”

I don’t let anybody tell me where to go or what to look at unless it’s right there in front of me. As long
as you are polite about this and smile, people generally understand. If I get someone who seems to be
mistrustful or bitter, I’ll smile and say something like, “I can look at it now if you want, but it will only
take me a few minutes to get there. I appreciate your patience.”