How Letting Agents Create Property Inventories
An inventory is a detailed list of the contents of a property. It is used before any tenant moves into a property and is intended to list all of the items in the property and note their condition prior to the tenant’s move in. This will protect both the landlord and the tenant from any disputes that may arise during the tenancy.
Why The Inventory Comes First
By completing the inventory before the tenant moves in and taking photos etc of the property before they enter it, we can ensure that the tenant cannot claim that any damage was already present. Subsequently, when the tenant vacates the property, we can refer back to the completed inventory to check if any items have been damaged etc.
Room By Room, Item By Item
List every item in the room, including all walls, floors and ceilings and note any signs on them. List all fixtures and fittings and all white goods such as fridge, oven and washing machine and note their settings.
Photos And Video As Backup
These can be written down and will be dated. Photographs and short video recordings can also be taken of each room. These will be added to the body of the inventory as formal evidence of the condition of the walls etc. and can be used to highlight any marks etc.
Being Precise About Condition
Most sites (including ours) follow detailed, precise standards for a formal inventory such as this – using the most formal of language such as: ‘Small scuff to skirting board approximately 2 inches long on left hand side’ or ‘Light scratch approximately 6 inches long to work surface near sink’. See also Letting Agents Bridgwater.
Meters And Alarms Get Logged Too
Also recorded are the initial meter readings for gas, electricity and water as well as for heating oil and checks completed for working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Signed Off At Check-In
After the completion of the inventory it is read out to the tenant(s) at the check-in and signed by them off. All contents are then listed as present and agreed and if anything is noted as missing or damaged before they move in it is noted and signed off before they move in. If any complaint is made formally against a letting agent the complaint will be resolved by a redress scheme for letting agents.
Bridgwater letting agents retain property inventory documents for Landlords throughout the period of tenancy. Inventories are updated at check out to detail any changes to fixtures and fittings etc. of the property.
A good inventory can take time to complete, however it is worth it in the long run to save headaches at the end of the tenancy.