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
Post Titles
- Property Inventory App? What can I expect for my money?
- How inventory clerk software can help your business
- The advantages of using Voice Technology for Property Reports
- What goes into a Condition Report?
- Things to consider when compiling a Property Inventory
- Do I Need a Property Inventory?
- The Importance of Check-In and Check-Out Reports
- Our Dictation Software makes creating Inventory Reports so much faster
- Why you need to carry out Interim Inspections of your BTL
- Creating an Inventory is a critical task for a Managing Agent
- An Inventory Guide for Tenants
- Our App makes creating a Schedule of Condition so much faster and more Accurate
- Some tips for Landlords carrying out Property Inspections
- Creating an Inventory is one of the most Important Tasks for a Managing Agent
- What should you check for when Inspecting your Rental Property?
- How to Hire an Inventory Clerk
- Is an Inventory Report needed for Unfurnished Properties?
- The Reasons why you should carry out a Mid-Tenancy Inspection
- The Perfect Inventory App for Landlords
- Check-In and Check-Out reports: What you need to know as a Tenant
- Carrying out Mid-Tenancy checks: What you Need to Know
- You’re not still living in the 20th Century, are you?
- What to check for when doing an Inventory Report
- Use Speech Recognition tools to reduce time doing Reports
- Our Dictation App saves you a Huge Amount of Time
- 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