Giving your Feedback on an Inventory as a Tenant
If you are a tenant as opposed to a homeowner, you need to know about inventories. They are important to you because they can determine whether or not you get your full deposit back at the end of the tenancy.
An inventory is an in-depth report on the property that you are renting and its condition, together with everything that is within it, whether the property is unfurnished, part furnished, or fully furnished. Even an unfurnished property has a bath, handbasin, kitchen sink, toilet, windows, doors, and so on and they may be in perfect condition or the basin might have a chip for instance. If the basin does have a chip, it is important that this is noted on the inventory so that the landlord cannot later claim that the chip was your fault.
Equally, if the handbasin is perfect on the day that you move in, and when you move out there is a chip on it, then the landlord is perfectly entitled to claim for repair/replacement from your deposit because the damage was caused while you were occupying the property.
Inventory is often created by an inventory clerk who does this for a living. Alternatively, it may be carried out by the landlord in person or by a letting agent. The format of an inventory may differ from one to the next, but the basic information will be the same.
The inventory is important because it is an account of the way everything looked before you moved in. Ideally, you should be present when the inventory is carried out because then both you and the person carrying it out can agree on any damage, wear and tear on a carpet, a scratch or scuff on the fridge door, and so on.
Many inventory clerks and letting agents today use an app that we have produced at Reports2Go. They download this to their mobile or tablet, and they can use it to make notes as they go, either by text, or using it in audio mode which they can type up afterwards and produce a free property condition report. The app prompts them as they go from room to room so that they don’t miss anything and at the same time helps to speed up the process.
If you are unable to be present when the inventory is carried out then you will be given a copy of it and asked to check through everything carefully in the first few days of your tenancy, usually a week or so. It is important that you do this so that you can agree with what has been written down. If you agree with the inventory, then you will be asked to sign it.
When you have the inventory, take some time to go through everything very carefully. And that does mean everything. Check carpets for wear, or marks, and the same with curtains. Any broken floorboards or cracks on the ceiling? Are there any mould or mildew marks, especially in the bathroom? Run the taps to check for pressure and water quality. You should run the taps anyway because the property will have been empty for some while, and it is possible for Legionnaires Disease to build up in water pipes or tanks in only a few days.
Check the electrical appliances and sockets. Is everything in working order? Any cracks or chips in the sink or tiling on the walls? Check cupboards for doors that stick or are warped.
Any chips or cracks on window frames? It is a good idea to take photographs of anything that appears to differ from the inventory report.
Go outside and check the drains. Are the gutters OK? Do they need cleaning out? Any cracks on the walls?
If the inventory clerk or letting agent has used our app to produce a free property condition report, then it should be accurate. However, there is always room for human error.
If you do not agree with the inventory, then you have every right to make amendments to the report. This is also where photographs can come in handy. You will need to sign the inventory in order to show that you agree with it, so before you do that, ask the landlord or letting agent to countersign any amendments that you have made so that there will not be disagreement at the end of your tenancy.
Gary, 12 March 2021
Post Titles
- Mid-Tenancy Reports are Critical when Letting a Property
- There may be Errors in the Inventory Report
- Reports2Go: the 21st Century way of creating Property Reports
- How to do a Condition Report for your BTL
- The work of an Inventory Clerk can be exceedingly varied
- What should you check for when inspecting your Lettings Property?
- Some things you need to know about Mid-term inspections as a Landlord
- The Reports2Go App makes Property Reports simple
- Why you should carry out Interim Inspections as a Landlord
- Why Check-In and Check-Out Reports are important for Tenants
- Some things to consider if you are thinking of buying a BTL
- The clever way for Letting Agents to create Property Reports
- Our FREE app makes Inventory Reports so much easier
- What to do if your Tenant has Damaged your Property?
- Inventory Reports and Check-Ins – are both really necessary?
- Who should pay for Property Cleaning - Tenants or Landlords?
- Is a Check-in Report Really Necessary?
- New plans and improved resolution for images
- Overheads of being a Landlord
- It is Critical that Inventory Reports are Accurate
- Mid-term Inspections of your BTL are Essential
- Minimising risks with proper tenant checks
- Making a Claim on a Tenant’s Deposit: What you need to consider
- The Importance of an Inventory for Tenants
- Things to note when conducting Check-In/Check-Out reports
- Our App saves a huge amount of time carrying out Inventories
- 5 Handy Screening Topics for New Tenants
- Busting Property Management Myths
- Six Money-Saving Tips for Landlords
- Rules for Tenants and Pets in 2021 - What are the Changes?
- As a Landlord you need to carry out Interim inspections
- Giving your Feedback on an Inventory as a Tenant
- Inventories made easy with Reports2Go
- New to Letting? What you should know about Property Reports
- Three Pillars of Good Property Management
- How can PropTech reduce your Property Inventory burden?
- Choosing the right Rental Management Strategy
- Some Tips for Promoting your Letting Agency Business
- The Importance of an Inventory to you as a Tenant
- Some Ideas to Consider in Order to Reduce your Overheads
- Legislation Concerning Landlords and Tenants is Constantly Changing
- What’s your Property Management approach?
- How to maintain a Positive Relationship with your Tenant
- How important is a Condition Report?
- Tools for New Landlords and Property Managers
- The Check-in Process in the Reports Cycle
- Doing an Inventory: Part 5 - Enhancing the Report
- Doing an Inventory: Part 4 - Finishing Up
- Doing an Inventory: Part 3 - Describing Items
- Doing an Inventory: Part 2 - At the Property
- How to do an Inventory: Part 1 - Preparation
- All you need to know about Property Reports as a Tenant
- Use the FREE Reports2Go App to Speed-up Inventories
- Using on-board Dictation Software for Reports
- A guide to Inventory, Check-In, and Check-Out reports
- Reasons for Landlords to carry out Mid-term Inspections
- How to Carry out an Inventory Quickly, Accurately, and Easily
- What does an Inventory Clerk do, and should I hire one?
- Inventory – A Guide for Tenants
- Things to keep in mind when conducting a Check-in Report
- Free Schedule of Condition - Why You Need it
- End-of-Tenancy clean? All you need to know
- Reports During Covid - 19 Restrictions
- Mid-term inspections as a Landlord
- How to avoid Deposit Angst with the Reports2Go app
- The Importance of the Reports2Go App for Inventories
- All about the Reports2Go App
- The Importance of an Inventory for a Tenant
- Dictation makes for a much faster and more Accurate Inventory
- How the Reports2Go app works
- Free Property App
- Completely Free App
- Tenant Fees Act and Inventories
- When you have a lot of Inventories, Reports2Go will save you time
- Periodic Inspections and why they are good idea
- Inventory meets the 21st century with Reports2Go
- Our App saves you a lot of time on Mid-Term inspections
- What is an inventory and why have one?
- Text Mode
- Audio Mode
- Our Inventory App
- Inventory Associations
- The life cycle of a Report
