Keep the original notice
Save the original inspection notice and any later changes. If the agent proposes a broad window, records a specific time, arrives early, arrives late, or needs to reschedule, keep that timeline.
Your goal is not to catch anyone out. It is to make sure everyone is working from the same facts if timing becomes an issue.
Reply with practical constraints
If the proposed time conflicts with work or caring responsibilities, reply with specific alternatives. For example: "I work from home with client calls between 10am and 1pm. I can provide access between 8am and 9:30am or after 2pm."
Avoid long emotional explanations. Clear options are easier for an agent to accept and easier to show later if there is a dispute.
Record attendance
If you are home, note when the inspection starts and ends. If the inspection is missed or delayed, send a short follow-up: "I was available during the notified window of 11am to 1pm and no one attended. Please send a new notice if you need to reschedule."
Queensland's rules are unusually specific about a two-hour window for general inspections. Other states differ, but a written timeline is useful anywhere.
Protect privacy without overcomplicating it
Put away sensitive documents, work materials, medication, and private items before an inspection. If a room cannot be entered due to a confidential call or sleeping child, communicate this before the visit where possible.
If photos are taken during the inspection, you can keep your own notes of what was photographed and why, especially if the property is later advertised or shown.
Sources
Article written 2026-06-26