A question I often hear when meeting landlords for the first time is, my property is going to be unfurnished, do I really need an inventory? In short the answer is yes, always. Even if a property is going to be given to a tenant unfurnished, as a landlord you are still likely to be providing a fitted kitchen, a bathroom suite as well as carpets and any other small items that may be forgotten about.
An inventory is therefore important, because come the end of the tenancy, if there is a rather noticeable red wine stain in your cream carpet, as a landlord you would like to receive some form of compensation. Without an inventory you may find it difficult or even impossible to receive any form of reimbursement because a tenant can fall back onto an argument based solely on it was like that when I got here.
I do unfortunately hear quite often, examples of landlords losing in claim settlements because an inventory has not been prepared, not only for the reason above, but also because they have rented the property to a friend or even a relative in the past and felt it was unnecessary. Other reasons have also included it was too expensive through my last agent and/or an independent company, or simply I didn’t know how to do one.
An inventory can be a simple document to execute if you are a self sufficient landlord, and I cannot stress enough how important it can be to do one even if it is very basic, here are a few simple steps to consider:
> List the rooms in your property in a logical order
> List the contents and everything you can see from top to bottom
> Remember things such as curtains, curtain poles and alarm sensors
> Make a note of any marks/stains as you go
> Take a series of photographs of each room and any large or noticeable stains/marks
> Photo the inside of ovens, toilets, baths and washing machines etc.
> Have the tenant check and sign the inventory to say they agree with it, before they move in
Although these pointers are not exhaustive, taking them into consideration could be of benefit in the long run. Fortunately at
Intire, a full written and photographic inventory is included as part of both the Intirely Let and Intirely Managed services. Also all of our inventory clerks are trained up to the highest industry standard with the Association of Professional Inventory Providers, so you can rest easy in the knowledge everything has been taken care of.
For more information contact Intire on 0117 956 1107 or by email at contact@intire.co.uk