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FAQ

What is an inventory?

An inventory report accurately records the condition of the property at the beginning of a tenancy. It’s not just a list of the items in the property, it details the conditions & make up of the building. It covers items such as walls, ceilings, floors, kitchen units, appliances, bathroom furniture, etc. A high quality inventory report should contain highly detail textual descriptions of all relevant items with a collection of good quality supporting photographs.

The aim of the report is to make it clear at the end of the tenancy exactly what condition the property was in so any changes relevant to the deposit can be easily ascertained.

A check out report is produced at the end of the tenancy to list all of the changes that have occurred during the tenancy. The report uses the inventory produced before the tenancy began to list everything that is now different in condition or cleanliness, as well as any items that have been added or removed. These changes are then listed in the report and will fall into the following categories: fair wear & tear, tenant liability and landlord’s maintenance.

The report will contains textual & photographic evidence of the changes to provide evidence to support any deposit deduction claims.

This is where a designated representative, usually the person who carried out the inventory report, goes through the report to check it’s accuracy with the tenant present. This allows for any issues that may not have been picked up in the inventory to be added, as well as making the tenant aware of the contents of the report. This helps to make sure that all parties agree the inventory report is as accurate as possible before the tenancy begins to minimise disagreements at the end of the tenancy.

This is the expected level of changes to a property or item of furniture because of the expected level of use during the tenancy. The expected level of changes can be affected by several different factors. Some rooms in the property would expect more wear to happen than others, such as hallways near entrance doors. The type of tenancy would also have a bearing, such as more wear would be expected if a family of 5 were occupying the property than a single professional. For furniture, paintwork or carpets, there are expected lifespans for such items.

If any of those exceeded their expected lifespan, the any use beyond that lifetime would fall under fair wear & tear. At the end of the tenancy, the individual carrying out the check out report would have to subjectively assess these factors & make a judgement call on whether the wear found was fair or excessive.

Your first stops should be the managing agent & the individual carrying out the report. Often these issues can be resolved amicably & reasonably. It is best to do so as quickly as possible so that any issues can be rectified promptly. If you suspect that an AIIC member clerk has carried out a report that you believe does not match the level of professionalism required from our members and you have not been able to resolve the matter with them directly, you can contact us to make a complaint.

Firstly, contact the managing agent. Highlight the deductions you think are unreasonable and provide evidence, including photographs. Often such issues can be amicably negotiated. You may feel angry about the deductions, but a calm approach will help to resolve such matters. If no resolution can be found, the deposit service that is holding the deposit will have a resolution service available to you for an adjudicator to decide on a fair outcome.

The AIIC holds all of it’s members to required standards & a code of practice. These standards have been produced in consultation with the deposit services & other stakeholders in the property rental industry to make sure that all reports carried out by AIIC registered clerks are of a high standard. Each member is required to produce reports at regular intervals so that these can be assessed to make sure they meet these standards. You can also be assured that an AIIC registered clerk will be independent, so will produce an unbiased report, benefitting all parties.

There is currently no law to say that you can’t. Are you absolutely certain that you know how to produce these documents to a high enough standard that it protects your property? Are you aware that the deposit services view an independent report with greater authority than one produced by a landlord or letting agent? This is because a landlord or letting agent could be perceived to have a bias against the tenant. This sometimes leads to deposit claims being rejected. The best way to protect your property is to hire an independent clerk who is a member of the AIIC.

View the cost of using an independent clerk to produce your inventory like an insurance premium – you hope never to use it, but you don’t want to find yourself without it when you need it.