What is an inventory?
An inventory is a historic snap shot of the condition of a property. It’s an essential guide to use at the end of a tenancy and helps to prevent disputes over possible damages.
Put together before a tenant moves into a property, an inventory is a dated record of the actual condition of a property.
Why is it useful?
An inventory is essential as it is a visual and written report of a property before a tenant moves in. Using the inventory makes it easier to provide evidence if there are any damages in the property, such as burns on carpets, marks on walls, ovens not been cleaned etc.
It is all about evidence. Since the launch of the Tenant Deposit Scheme, landlords have to be 100% able to prove the condition of a property.
When should it be done?
An inventory is always produced before a move in takes place.
What should it record?
An inventory is a full description of a property.
Many written inventories are also backed up with photographs of the property. You have a written part of the inventory and a photo part so you can physically see if there are any damages, such as marks or stains on a carpet.
Photos can be especially helpful if any doubts over condition are encountered prior to move in.
The best thing about a photo inventory is that the camera never lies. Words are subjective. To make the most of your inventory before and after photographs are best.
