Strip mall inspection while under contract. Seller doesn’t want us going into the units
Under contract on a strip small 6500 square feet building, 18,000sq Ft lot with 6 units fully occupied. Seller is hesitant to allow me inspection access inside each unit because tenants would find out about sale. 

Also, sellers broker says since all leases have tenants responsible for all repairs and maintenance of their units (I verified in leases) there shouldn’t be much to inspect anyway. Personally, Don’t feel comfortable limiting inspection to only roof. 

How would you push back to get into each unit ?
[{"id": "imcfgwz", "text": "Do the leases have tenant estoppel certificates? \n\nTenants are going to find out about the sale and may as well get it over with now and any lingering issues being addressed.", "replies": [{"id": "imdfsik", "text": "Is penicillin still the recommended cure for estoppel?", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "imdj6hd", "text": "Yes but estoppels can be ordered once the buyer is non refundable, meaning the landlord will be more confident is using his political capital with the tenants since it is unlikely he will have to do it again.  Landlord are often hosts to to make the tenant aware of a sale that may or may not go through and subjecting tenant to multiple walkthroughs with different buyers.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imchfve", "text": "Ultimately the tenants will know soon enough, but I\u2019ve run into a few small time owners with similar hesitation in the past.  A few things we\u2019ve tried, in case they\u2019re helpful:\n\n1) Hold firm.  If something about the dynamics doesn\u2019t feel right, I personally feel better walking away (and more often than not the sellers get over their concerns fairly quickly and all is resolved).\n2) Check the contracts. Understand what rights the seller has that you can leverage - perhaps joining them on an inspection they\u2019re entitled to in normal course.  You should also understand whether you can expect estoppel certs from tenants, which may help alleviate your concerns.\n3) Assuming these are retail units and not closed offices - secret shop them.  You may not get the same level of comfort, but in my experience you can tell quite a bit from a quick visit and a peek in the back where you\u2019re able.  My father equates it to judging restaurants based on whether they clean the pepper shakers (we ate at a lot of diners growing up - which was our version of fancy).  You know that if they take care to maintain those sorts of things, you can take some level of comfort in knowing they\u2019re taking care of the rest.\n4) Building on the above - see if sellers will allow you to visit under the guise of an electrical, HVAC or plumbing check.  I\u2019ve carried more than my fair share of tools into buildings I planned to buy - and learn a whole lot more about the building and the seller when the tenants think I\u2019m the repairman. \n\nNo matter how you cut it - my view is that you\u2019re better safe than sorry, so personally I\u2019d insist.  Clearly lots of others take a different stance, so you\u2019ll need to judge for yourself (and your investors, if this is more than personal capital). Good luck to you.", "replies": [{"id": "imdq1h3", "text": "Greatly appreciate your response. The leases allow landlord free access to the tenants premises so going with them might be a great option. \n\nSeller has agreed in contract to provide signed tenant estoppels \n\nI\u2019ll be going with my roofer this week as \u201crepair men\u201d but will definitely explain to sellers broker we need access at some point during due diligence.", "replies": [{"id": "imenfio", "text": "I don\u2019t agree with it, but have had sellers tell the tenants the exterior/interior inspections are for insurance purposes. Once I\u2019m there on-site, I wouldn\u2019t misrepresent myself if a tenant asks, but otherwise don\u2019t have any verbal interaction with them", "replies": [{"id": "imgjoxq", "text": "I use this excuse all the time and don't see anything ethically wrong with it. It's none of the tenant's business that the owner is selling, and could ruin a relationship between tenant and owner if the deal is dropped for an unrelated reason. Unless of course it says otherwise in the lease.", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imcnzm3", "text": "Depending on what type of property. LL may not have a key.  \n\nI'd push tho.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imcvj3l", "text": "Can he say that insurance wants an inspection?", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imd3vqv", "text": "At a minimum send someone in as a customer.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdcib1", "text": "If you\u2019re not ready to walk away over this you have no leverage", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdmgsg", "text": "You need estoppels so they will know something is up. You have to conduct tenant interviews. This is a big red flag", "replies": [{"id": "imdqvnw", "text": "This. Don\u2019t trust the seller on their word. Get direct information and document everything.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdnslw", "text": "Tell the tenants you are an insurance inspector doing an annually check of the buildings and unit. Bam, should be no issue for seller.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdr2ip", "text": "Doesn\u2019t the agreement say that seller agrees to give access to buyer under inspection?", "replies": [{"id": "imentm9", "text": "This. He says he's already under contract. This should have been part of the negociation.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdu6f2", "text": "For future purchases, I'd recommend including in the contract the right to 1) inspect the entire building, including tenant suites 2) conduct tenant interviews. All before waiving due diligence and money going hard.", "replies": [{"id": "ipo083a", "text": "What are the standard questions asked in a tenant interview?", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imdy019", "text": "so tell them you are an insurance agent or an appraiser.  this shit happens every day all day", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imebt59", "text": "You can do a shadow inspection, just pretend to be a member of the public, or have the seller take you through as an \u201cinsurance inspector\u201d", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imefrou", "text": "It\u2019s normal to not have any contact with tenants until after money goes hard", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imelqpo", "text": "Amateur hour. Walk the spaces with the seller, you're from the insurance company.", "replies": [{"id": "img7j1l", "text": "Yup, right on point. \u201cWe are insurance contractors\u201d every time", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "imh5927", "text": "Agree. We do PCAs posing as insurance inspectors all the time.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imenchi", "text": "I would dig deeper into why the seller doesn\u2019t want tenants to find out and see if its justifiable. Just them finding out that he is selling doesn\u2019t seem to be a good enough reason. The other option would be to include a clause in the closing contract that specifies that since the seller is not allowing for in unit inspection they are responsible for anything bad you find afterwards once as an owner you are able to inspect for a period of say up to a week or a certain amount, say $100K or something you feel hedges you in case is a can of worms.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "img5ogw", "text": "Seller can tell the tenants anything and you can play along. With the bank doing inspections, with the insurance company, investor, etc.\n\nEdit: also tenants fail,  don't renew  leases. LL is stuck with the box", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "imgjbau", "text": "People inspect units in buildings all the time whether it is a strip mall, multifamily building, office building. As a broker I have taken prospective buyers through the same unit multiple times in a week under the guise of \"an inspection for insurance purposes\" and the tenants didn't bat an eye. As brokers we deal with jumpy owners like this all the time, the sellers broker must be either a new broker or possibly hiding something. I'd start talking like you're going to drop the deal and see if that gets your through the unit. If not, there's something going on.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]