Inventories

Preparing an inventory/schedule of condition is one of the best ways that you can protect yourself as a responsible landlord. By creating an accurate record of the condition of the property at the outset of the tenancy, you can:

• show any deterioration at the end of the tenancy; and
• evidence damage to the deposit scheme if there is a dispute; and
• show the tenants what condition the property should be returned to you in.

If a dispute does occur over damage to the property, you as the claimant are responsible for proving the damage occurred. Without an accurate inventory that has been agreed by all parties it is extremely unlikely you will make a successful claim for damages.

Keeping things simple for landlords, at the NRLA, we provide a platform where everything you need is in one place, no matter if you’re looking for information regarding inventory and schedule of condition or documents for starting a new tenancy. To get the most out of our platform, join our community to find specialist advice, exclusive discounts and much more.  

An inventory report should include a comprehensive list of the contents of a property, as well as the condition of each item. It is essential to be thorough in the creation of such documents in order to avoid any disputes further down the road. An inventory for landlords should include: 

• Time-stamped photographs that visually document the state of the property before the tenancy., including details about any professional cleaning. 
• A description of the dwelling’s exterior, noting the condition of any gardens or garages. 
• Documentation of the working conditions of electrical appliances. 
• Results of the smoke and CO alarm tests (these are required by law).
• Gas and electricity meter readings (including photo evidence). 
• A list of the keys provided to the tenant. 

Although closely associated, there are slight differences between an inventory and a schedule of condition. An inventory involves a detailed list of the items, furniture and appliances included in the lease of a property - this usually incorporates photography. Meanwhile, a schedule of condition focuses on the property itself, recording any pre-existing damages or defects before a tenancy.  

The confusion between an inventory and schedule of condition comes when landlords decide to combine both documents into one. The benefit of this when creating a tenancy is that one singular document is made where tenants can go for information regarding the condition of the property and the items within it.  

Inventories can be created either by yourself or by a professional inventory service. Which option you choose is entirely up to personal preference.

Taking an inventory can take time, effort and resources to complete, so many landlords now use professional inventory clerks to do this for them. The main advantage of this is that a professionally prepared inventory is likely to be clear, accurate and detailed enough to satisfy the deposit scheme and/or the courts should it be necessary.

When letting out your property, it is best practice to conduct a landlord inventory to avoid confusion and misunderstandings between you and your tenant about what items were in the property or the condition of the property at the start of the tenancy. The landlord inventories will make it clear from the start for all involved who is responsible for which aspects of the landlord inventory.

Our chosen partners provide you with a range of options for producing inventories for your properties.

Performing your own inventory
Choosing to perform your own inventory and schedule of condition means, prior to the tenants moving in, you need to inspect the property, marking out the condition and its cleanliness on the inventory. Include details such as:

• If the property has been professionally cleaned.
• When each room was last decorated. 
• How old the items in the property are at the time of moving in.

Once your tenant has moved in, you should give them the opportunity to sign this document and make any comments. Industry practice is to offer the tenants up to seven days to make any comments, after which the inventory will be considered valid. However, you should ensure you have evidence and have provided this to your tenant in case they do not sign and you need to rely on it later.

The inventory should be relatively brief but accurate, with platforms like Inventory Hive making this process simpler. The NRLA template that we provide for our members includes a glossary of terms that you can use as shorthand to assist with this.