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Career Spotlight: Be a Property Inventory Clerk

The property rental market continues to feature in many headlines, with rental demand up by 6% and the number of rental properties in the UK at 8.7 million.

The pandemic resulted in millions being furloughed, losing their jobs or considering new career avenues. If you fit into one of those categories and are interested in finding a varied and flexible career, a job as a property inventory clerk may be just the role you’re looking for.

Definition of a Property Inventory Clerk

It’s a professional role where you visit rental properties before, they are let out and draw up detailed reports on the property's contents and its condition.

The task also involves taking meter readings, ensure the fire and carbon monoxide alarms work, and that soft furnishings such as sofas and armchairs have their fire safety labels attached.

Once a tenant is in the property, you may also be asked to put together a mid-tenancy report and then do a final tenancy check and compare it to your original pre-tenancy check.

However, the role is not simply about ticking checklists and taking images. Other skills are needed.

Key skills for someone doing a Property Inventory

You may be dealing with tenants, some of whom may be nervous about your presence in their homes but also unsure of what you will be doing there. You need good interpersonal skills, tact to put people at their ease.

In addition, you need a keen eye for detail so that nothing in the property goes unnoticed. For example, marks on the walls or carpets.

Lastly, you will need to demonstrate that you have good writing skills and the ability to be impartial. When compiling reports, you will need to be meticulous and methodical in your approach. You need to be organised.

Tools to do the job

Gone are when property inventory clerks had to carry a pen, clipboard and camera. Today, you can use an Inventory App on your iOS or Android mobile or tablet to take images and add text descriptions as you enter each room of the property you're inspecting.

The Reports2Go free property inventory app, for example, will walk you through each aspect of a room, such as windows, ceilings, curtains, floors and so on.

Tools like this can help you ensure that nothing is missed when conducting a property inventory.

Associations and Trade Bodies

Two prominent trade bodies for Inventory Clerks are Property Mark Inventories and The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks. Both provide training courses and have a code of conduct that you must adhere to.

Gary, 01 July 2022