What’s a Schedule-of-Condition? Everything you need to know

If you’re new to being a landlord and starting to navigate the often complex vernacular surrounding this business, you might find some industry-related terms confusing.

Schedule-of-Condition is one such term that often raises questions. It is used as an alternative term to a property inventory. Both are equivalent but perhaps the term Schedule-of-Condition might imply a bigger canvas, that perhaps it contains something more than another report but it does not. It is the same as an inventory.

In this article, dropping as its namesake, inventory, we’ll take a closer look at the term. What is a Schedule-of-condition, what does it record, and why do you need it?

What is a Schedule of Condition?

In the simplest terms, a schedule of condition is a condition report of a residential or commercial property at a particular date. This may be necessary for legal or contractual reasons; it may be referenced in the tenancy agreement. The schedule of condition is often, but not always, prepared by an independent agent at the request of a landlord or letting agent.

The Schedule-of-condition concerns itself with the entire property. It provides evidence of the condition of contents, internals and externals.

In most tenancy agreements, the tenant is responsible for the internal, fixtures/fittings, gardens and outbuildings. The landlord is responsible for the fabric of the building, including drains, guttering, soffits etc. This is important because, even though you may not be responsible for the fabric, it’s required to record its state at the outset so maintenance due by the landlord is effected properly as the tenancy progresses.

What does a Schedule-of-Condition contain?

The schedule should contain or all of the following:

  • Identification of the property, location, address
  • Date and time of report. All images should be time-stamped
  • A mention of the overall age and condition of the property and contents
  • Detailed room-by-room description and photos of all rooms, annexes and outbuildings
  • Each room should be described section-by-section
  • Contents of each room: fixed and movable with any existing damage
  • Description and condition of all white goods
  • Location and readings of all meters: gas, electricity, heat, oil as applicable
  • Location and confirmed testing report of all alarms: fire, heat, carbon monoxide
  • Location of emergency items such as mains stopcock
  • Location of or images of Gas Safe, Portable Appliances Testing certificates
As an extra a mention of the location of manuals for all devices and how-to-operate guides of, for example, underfloor heating, would be a recommended item.

Why do I need a Schedule-of-Condition?

A Schedule-of-Condition is vital in ensuring that responsibility can correctly be attributed if defects are found in the property at the end of the tenancy. For example, it may be the difference between returning a security deposit to tenants or keeping it to cover repairs. It can also give you a clear idea of the state of their property and which repairs might need to be carried out before starting a new tenancy.

Schedules-of-Condition can be detailed, complex and tedious. You can streamline the process and record your observations in a more organised fashion with free inventory software. Our app allows you to quickly compare the state of your property to an earlier condition. In addition, it helps you list all descriptions and photo evidence in one place.

Check out Reports2Go and sign up for free today!

Dan, 08 July 2022
What’s a Schedule-of-Condition? Everything you need to know

Post Titles

;