Preparing for Inspection
Preparing for the TOBY Inspection
A successful TOBY Choice inspection starts with preparation. The resources below are designed to help property management teams understand the judging process, prepare their building and documentation, and know what judges will be looking for during the inspection.
Use the TOBY Choice Inspection Form as your roadmap and review the Property Manager Training presentation for additional guidance, examples and practical tips discussed during the training.
Remember, TOBY is about more than how a building looks—it’s an opportunity to learn, improve and showcase the management practices, operational excellence and team behind your property.
Management & Operations
Be prepared to demonstrate how the property is actually managed.
Judges may review areas including:
- Management office organization and professionalism
- Property management agreements and responsibilities
- Staff training and professional development
- Standard operating procedures
- Financial reporting and operating expense analysis
- Critical documents and recordkeeping
- Access and key management
- Tenant issue resolution and proactive tenant relations
The presentation makes an important point here: much of this is work property managers already perform every day. TOBY preparation is largely about making those practices visible, organized and easy to verify.
Make Documentation Easy to Find
Supporting documentation matters.
Maintain organized records for SOPs, certifications, staff training, financial reporting, capital projects, vendor compliance, sustainability initiatives and other operational programs.
Digital records are appropriate, but having important information readily available during judging can make the inspection significantly smoother.
The objective isn't to overwhelm judges with paperwork. It is to be able to support what you say when they ask.
Prepare the Building Tour
Plan the inspection route before judging day.
The tour should cover required areas efficiently without unnecessary backtracking. Think through parking, entrances, management offices, common areas, engineering and mechanical spaces, loading/service areas, restrooms, landscaping, elevators, roof access and other areas applicable to your property.
Judging begins before the team reaches the management office. Parking conditions, landscaping, signage, cleanliness and the arrival experience all contribute to the judges' understanding of how the property is managed.
Don't Ignore Back-of-House Areas
Mechanical rooms, storage rooms, loading areas, trash rooms and engineering spaces matter.
These areas often provide some of the clearest evidence of operational discipline. Cleanliness, labeling, organization, safety procedures and preventive maintenance tell judges a great deal about how the building is managed.
Use Your Vendors
Your service partners know your property and can help provide inspection reports, maintenance records, project information, photographs and technical documentation.
As the training presentation emphasizes: your vendors are part of your team.