Things to keep in mind when conducting a Check-in Report

No matter how well a tenant looks after their property, it’s not going to be in exactly the same condition as when they first moved in, or when you rented it to them. It’s natural for standard wear and tear to occur with things like carpets, fixtures, and household decorations like wallpaper or paint.

Even well looked after properties will deteriorate with time. And while landlords need to allow for this general wear and tear during a tenancy, they also need to protect themselves from damage and dilapidation that could have been avoided. For example, it is typically the tenant’s responsibility to pay for breakages, missing items from the property inventory, or overt damage to the property like broken handles or gouges in walls.

A check-in report is usually based on an inventory. It is normal for the tenant to have sight of the inventory and the start of the tenancy and in addition to have a check-in conducted with reference to the inventory. It may be that there has been an interval between the inventory having been completed and the actual start of tenancy. Having the tenant be able to review the inventory and add any differences during check-in will make it much better for everyone’s peace of mind. Any divergences at the end of tenancy can be hopefully amicably resolved.

At Reports2Go, we offer free check-in reports with our app, which helps with end of tenancy and property management tasks for landlords and property owners.

What should Check-in reports cover?

The check-in report should reference an inventory of contents or a schedule of the condition for the property which should be an accurate account at the start of the tenancy.

Items to be covered during check-in include:

Meter readings, accompanied by a photograph which is clear shows the reading and shows the meter reference number. The meter may have multiple tariffs.
Photographs and a brief description of the keys handed over to the tenant
A demonstration that the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in working order
Location of stop cocks and any other emergency switches

It is important that the format is logical and easy to reference, as it will need to be compared with a final check-out report that may be carried out either by the same individual or another.

The document should have enough information as to the condition of all rooms and contents so that, if necessary, an adjudicator with be able to judge matters in case of a deposit query.

It is expected that the property as the start of tenancy has been cleaned to a professional standard and the check-in will note its condition. At the end of tenancy, the property should be returned in the same state.

By using services and tools such as our Reports2Go check-in report, you can describe the property and its contents in sufficient detail. It is most effective when there is an overall description and summary of the property, in addition to the finer details, such as specific fixtures and appliances.

Panos, 31 July 2020

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