Reports2Go

How to Hire an Inventory Clerk

When your tenants leave, you may find yourself looking at a list of repairs and replacements. This might involve a simple touch of paint or screwing in a loose set of shelves, but sometimes it can involve more substantial resources and time on your part to get the property for the next tenants.

If your tenants are responsible for damage or loss of items from your property and leaving it in a state unfit to let out immediately, then property management reports, like an inventory and check-out, are vital. The evidence contained within them will allow you to access to your tenant’s deposit, so you don’t have to absorb the cost yourself.

However, many new landlords are unsure about how these checks are conducted in the first place and how they can find an inventory clerk and property management services to make sure their properties always receive the necessary checks.

What does an Inventory Clerk do?

Inventory clerks are professionals who make detailed notes of the condition and contents of a property before it is rented out by a landlord. They may be individuals or part of a large organization that offers property management services.

An inventory clerk will attend the property at the start of a tenancy before tenants move in to create a condition report of everything from fittings to meter readinds. They will then attend the property at the end of the tenancy to check over again.

The return of the tenant’s full deposit usually depends on the state in which they leave the property, excluding fair wear and tear. And the inventory clerk and property management team will act as an impartial party who can help prove that a property has changed in whatever way over the course of the tenancy.

What do Inventory Clerks record?

An inventory report is a document and should be enough to prove exactly what condition a property was at the start of the tenancy. This includes the furniture in the property as well as the condition of appliances, windows, doors, locks, ceiling, walls, fittings, flooring and blinds, smoke detectors, plug sockets, cupboards, door handles, heating and much more.

After this report is performed, the inventory should be agreed and updated, if necessary, by both the landlord and the tenant when the tenant moves into the property. Having an agreed report will make it easier to prove if a property has sustained any damage that should be repaired from the tenancy deposit.

As well as the items themselves, it is important that any marks, chips or damage are included next to each description as well as sufficient photo evidence so that the landlord is not responsible for any damage done by the tenant.

How to find an Inventory Clerk

Landlords and letting agencies use inventories as part of their day-to-day operations. Each new tenancy will require a fresh report and it is often an inventory clerk who is charged with creating this report. This individual may work within the letting company or be hired as an external party.

Landlords can also assume the role of the inventory clerk if they wish to perform the checks themselves, but they must ensure that this is done diligently and that the final document is officially signed and agreed by all parties.

To find an inventory clerk you can either contact a lettings company and ask them about their processes for conducting property checks, or search for a company independently. Organisations such as the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks or PropertyMark Inventories have member directories. Professional bodies have codes of conduct and processes to arbitrate in case there are issues with the service provided. Ultimately, professional service means that you have peace of mind that nothing is missed off the inventory.

Dan, 14 January 2022