Why is an inventory so important?
Find out why a detailed inventory is essential if you need to recover costs from a tenant at the end of the tenancy.
You’d be surprised how much damage a tenant can cause or how unclean a property can be left, but our team of adjudicators has seen it all! Whether the damage involves stains on carpets, broken windows, burns on worktops, holes in walls or broken doors, the list goes on – read our case study for examples. With no check-in inventory, a landlord is immediately on the back foot in any end of tenancy negotiation to recover any costs from a tenant.
“The mantra we tend to live by, and advise landlords and agents all the time is, ‘disputes are determined at the beginning of the tenancy, not the end’. And it’s such a critical thing, getting all your paperwork in order at the start, because at the end, it’s already too late.”
A good inventory will support any reasonable claim and help to avoid a formal resolution being needed when the tenancy ends.
mydeposits top tip - no inventory means no comparison can be made to show that the extent of damage or lack of cleaning being claimed was caused by the tenant.
Why are mid-term inspections valuable?
Regular inspections during a tenancy can highlight any new or on-going problems which may be the tenant’s or landlord’s responsibility.
Examples would be:
a leak in the property which the tenant reported as soon as they discovered it. The landlord agrees and sorts the leak out straight away, but the damaged décor remains until the end of the tenancy. As the leak was assessed as no fault of the tenant’s, the residual damage would be the landlord’s responsibility and no claim from the tenant could subsequently succeed
washing found being dried on radiators in rooms which are poorly ventilated. The tenant was advised how to avoid the build-up of condensation and mould developing. This advice was followed up by the agent, but the tenant chose to ignore the advice. The check-in and mid-term inspection reports together with the written advice given to the tenant would support a claim from the deposit
Some tenancies are long, with some having no fixed end date. This makes regular inspections during the tenancy even more important. Without these, a property can deteriorate to a greater extent than any deposit amount.
Top tip from No Letting Go: Make sure the inventory is carried out only once all works and cleaning have been fully completed, so that these are reflected in the inventory. An independent inventory clerk can’t make assumptions about what will be done/completed once they have finished compiling the inventory.
Yes, I was unable to access the property
Yes, but eventually I was able to access the property
No, tenants have never denied me access
