Check Out a New Inventory Guide for Landlords

An up-to-the-minute guide on completing inventories when tenants move in and out of private rented homes is available online. 

Designed to help landlords and letting agents avoid disputes with tenants over deposit deductions, the guide lays out how to carry out a thorough inventory. 

The guide is produced by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) and the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) to set industry standards for best practice. 

The property professionals felt inventory standards might drop when the tenant fees ban came into force in England on June 1 2019. After that date, letting agents and landlords cannot charge fees for inventories to tenants. Michael Morgan, Director of Dispute Resolution at TDS, said:

“We are committed to continuing to educate the private rented sector. 

“TDS understands the concern of members on the issue of inventories as a result of the incoming tenant fees ban. We take the view that we serve the interests of all parties to a tenancy best by considering check-in and check-out reports based on their content rather than who compiled them.”

Accurate inventories are essential for establishing proof to support claims to deduct repair and replacement costs from tenant deposits. 

Meanwhile, the Welsh Government has slated September 1, 2019, the day a tenant fees ban comes into force across the country. 

The ban will limit letting agents and landlords charge rent, a security deposit, a refundable holding deposit (set at a maximum of one week’s rent), default payments, and payments for services such as utilities and council tax. A similar ban is already in place in Scotland.

 Download the guide to inventories, check-in and check-out reports for letting agents and landlords