The Importance of an Inventory for a Tenant
If you are a tenant rather than a homeowner, an inventory is of great value. Under the Tenant Deposit Scheme you are required to pay a deposit to your landlord or letting agent when you move in, and the inventory is key to how much or how little of it you get back when you move out. The deposit protects the landlord against any damage that you may cause to their property during your tenancy and they have the right to claim back any expense incurred as a result so that they can fix the damage before letting the property to another tenant. That is all fair enough.
Equally, it is fair that you should not have to pay for any damage which was pre-existing at the time you moved in. Nor should you have to pay for wear and tear. For instance, we all walk upon carpets and this causes them to wear. That is part and parcel of the landlord’s side of things and you should not be expected to pay just because the carpet has worn down in the normal scheme of things. However, there are some rogue landlords who may try to pass off wear and tear as damage caused by their tenant.
This is why the inventory is important to you. When you pay your deposit and move in, the landlord should provide you with an inventory which is an in-depth report on the condition of everything before you took over. Ideally, this inventory should be carried out with you present on the day or day before you move in, although this may not always be possible.
If you can be present, so much the better, because both you and the landlord or their agent can agree on the condition of everything at the beginning of the tenancy. However, if this is not possible, the landlord should provide you with a copy of the inventory and ask you to sign it. Before doing so, you should check that everything is actually as it is stated in the inventory. So you need to carry out a thorough inspection of the property with the inventory in hand when you move in. Most letting agents will allow you a week, or so, to make any comments before you sign the inventory.
The inventory may be carried out by the landlord in person, by their agent, or by a third-party company which specialises in doing inventory. Some landlords and letting agents prefer to use a third-party because it takes them one step away and they are less likely to be accused by a tenant of favouring the landlord.
However, actually carrying out inventory can be a fairly complicated task. This is particularly so when the property is let furnished, has a garden, outbuildings and so on. All areas, internal and external, should be covered in the document.
This is why the Reports2Go app is so important to landlords and tenants. It is a free inventory service consisting of an app which the inventory clerk – the person taking the inventory – can download to their mobile or tablet and simply type up notes as they walk through the property. The app has an intelligent algorithm which prompts them to check on things as they go. This ensures that they don’t miss anything, which is easily done with only a pen and paper process, and results in the inventory being as accurate as it can possibly be.
Our app can also be used in audio mode, so the inventory clerk can walk through each room dictating notes into the app on their phone and can then upload them to a portal from which they can either type them up or have us do it for them.
The result is that you have an inventory which is accurate and with which you can be comfortable, so that there are no disputes when you leave the property.
Gary, 22 May 2020
Post Titles
- Career Spotlight: Be a Property Inventory Clerk
- What tenants can expect from a Mid-Tenancy Report
- What are Periodic Inspections and what do they entail?
- Landlords - What to Do at the End of Tenancy
- What is a Check-In report?
- How inventory clerk software can help your business
- Property Inventory App? What can I expect for my money?
- 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 App makes creating a Schedule of Condition so much faster and more Accurate
- 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
- 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