Landlords and letting agents aren’t carrying out property inventory inspections on nearly a third of tenancies, leaving themselves open to disputes over damages and deposits.

Inventory Base quizzed almost 1,500 UK renters and found that 30% didn’t have an inventory done before renting their current rental property. For those who did, just 23% said it was done on the day they moved in, 64% said it was done before their move in date, with a staggering 13% having to wait until sometime after keys were handed over.

Specialist

For 65% of tenants, the service was carried out by their letting agent, with landlords choosing to conduct it themselves in 26% of cases, while just 9% of inventories were done by a specialist, third-party provider.

Some of those who complete reports could be leaving themselves open to further headaches due to the poor standard of inspection, believes Inventory Base. In 41% of cases, inventories were handwritten, with 22% of tenants stating that those conducting it failed to inventory the entire property, while 31% of tenants weren’t even asked to sign the completed paperwork.

Daunting

Operations director Siân Hemming-Metcalfe admits that handling inventories can feel like a daunting, time-consuming task but that skipping or rushing through the process could cost landlords more in time, money, and stress in the long run.

“An inventory is more than just paperwork; it’s your first line of defence when things go wrong at the end of a tenancy,” she explains. “Without a detailed, signed document, disputes over damages or deposits can quickly spiral into a drawn-out, frustrating experience. Even small missteps, like not inspecting every room or forgetting to have the tenant sign the report, can provide grounds to dispute any damages done and monies owed, opening the door to protracted challenge.”

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