Having an inventory is great, but having a highly detailed inventory will save you money, disputes and anxiety.
What is an inventory report?
A property inventory is a document reporting the condition of your property at the time of the inspection. An inventory should contain descriptions and an extended amount of photos of decorative surfaces, present items and furniture, the working order of any fitted appliances and information about the cleaning.
Other elements are captured, such as meter reading, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and their working condition, keys and any relevant miscellaneous items. A qualified clerk will know what to look for and how to report items and their condition in the report.
How should content be captured?
Your inventory contains a lot of data.
A good report contains clear and relevant photos and text descriptions. Other companies may offer advanced features like condition highlights to facilitate the digestion of content but all of the reports will contain those elements.
Each described item - like a wall, furniture, or an appliance - should have a minimum of 2-3 photos (the bigger an item, the more photos you should expect) that clearly show the item at different angles and show any defects present.
The text descriptions and photos serve as a reference point and evidence about the nature and condition of an item
In the UK, if you hire an inventory company, this company should follow the description and formatting imposed by the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (www.the-aiic.co.uk). This will ensure standards are applied and will guarantee a minimum level of clarity and relevance in the content captured.
How details make a difference?
The more details you have about an object, the less debatable its condition is.
It's as simple as that but the implications are huge. In the event of a disputed check-out (the end of tenancy property assessment), all of the details collected during the inventory, whether they are photos, or text of submitted amended notes will all provide clear evidence about the condition and cleanliness of the object.
The lack of details will leave someone in a grey zone that may be exploited by both landlords and tenants.
The lack of details will leave someone in a grey zone that may be exploited by both landlords and tenants. A landlord might want to reclaim costs, from the tenants, for a damaged item that wasn't properly documented at the time of the inventory. Similarly, if an inventory lacks details, this may benefit the tenants since the absence of photos and descriptions will make it impossible for the check-out clerk to assess the change in the condition of an item.
Remember, the purpose of the inventory is to serve as a reference document to later compare the same property at the end of the tenancy. If a clerk cannot make a comparative assessment, no changes will be reported due to the lack of actionable data.
What if a report is not good enough?
An invested landlord and tenant will want to make sure an inventory report comes with a high level of content and details.
If a report lacks photos, or text, or comes with simplistic and superficial descriptions, it is your responsibility to get back to your inventory contractor and ask them to correct their report.
A neglected invenyory report could impact your finances negatively on the long term.
Your inventory company has the responsibility to ensure any report submitted is perfectly formatted and comes with a decent and clear level of data.
Who to use for the best results?
Always aim to contract a professional and qualified inventory company to carry your property inspections (inventory, check-in, check-outs) to limit the risks of disputes at the end of the tenancy.
A company that is listed under the AIIC will provide a standard level of quality guaranteed by the AIIC.
Hihouse inventory offers inventory services to private landlords, tenants and lettings agencies with the upmost level of quality service and details. All of our staff is trained to capture a high level of actionable and clear data and our formatting offers unique readability features that make it close to impossible to miss a detail.
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