Do you get a professional inventory every time you start a new tenancy? Having a formal inventory may affect any claim you may need to make on a tenants’ deposit.
What is a tenancy deposit?
A tenancy deposit is an amount of money taken by a landlord and held in security against the tenant’s obligations under a tenancy agreement. Deductions can be made from a tenancy deposit if the landlord has suffered a loss during the tenancy.
What happens if there’s a deposit dispute?
If the tenant challenges the deductions, the burden of proof lies initially with the agent or landlord, to show that the tenant has breached the tenancy agreement, and that the landlord has suffered a loss due to that breach.
Inventories are a tried and tested way of demonstrating the contents and condition of the property at the start and end of the tenancy. Although they are a key piece of evidence to support a tenancy deposit deduction, you don’t specifically need one to submit a deposit dispute, but it helps significantly.
What is an inventory report?
Property inventories are documents that report on the condition of the house and its contents at the time of assessment, usually conducted at ‘check-in’ – the start of the tenancy. Agents or landlords can compile the inventory themselves, or an independent inventory clerk can complete them.
What should be included in an inventory report?
The inventory report should accurately capture a detailed report on the condition of the property when conducting the check-in.
I have a ‘check-in report’ and a ‘check-out report’, but no ‘inventory’, can I still make a claim?
The terms ‘check-in report’, ‘inventory’, and ‘schedule of condition’ are often used interchangeably.
If a dispute is raised over the return of the deposit, you’re more likely to be successful in your claim if you have a documentary evidence of some kind, such as an inventory or check-in report.
The important thing is that the report accurately captures the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy and can be compared to a report showing the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy.
At Lifeboat Lettings we will always help and advise landlords and assist where we can.
If you would like some help with the subject covered above or anything else relating to properties or lettings, please email contact@lifeboatlettings.com with your query.
