Inventory: what to include and what not to

Emmzi

easy to change date time on phone so I'd get todays newspaper in one picture, the filthiest. Just in case :-)

But I'm paranoid.

DVardysShadow

Emmzi wrote: »

easy to change date time on phone so I'd get todays newspaper in one picture, the filthiest. Just in case :-)

But I'm paranoid.

Or better still, get today's paper and put it by until the end of the tenancy then take the photos. Oh, wait, that does not prove what you need to prove here.

Post yourself a set of prints in a sealed envelope? Don't open it.

seraphina

Print the photos and get two copies made - give one copy to the agency and write a letter saying that you enclose the completed inventory and photos to document state of house. Keep a copy of the letter as well.

Don't do anything until you can see the meter though.

DVardysShadow

dustinjames wrote: »

inventory: so i will fill it in, add my notes....but NOT sign it? and just send it in unsigned? (postal), until they agree and then I sign?

"Was it made clear to you before you took over that meters were inaccessible? " No.

Submetering? they just made me sign this paper, which put the utilities under my name, and they tell the utility company, it was dated to the moving in date. If i cant have access to my meters, im guessing nobody can in these apartments, ill ask my neighbours.

Makes it easier for you to cut up rough about not being given access to the meters.

dustinjames wrote: »

the elec company, they said they tell them the day i move in and so its all sorted, i start paying from my move in date. the agent says. So the fuel bill will obviously be in my name when i get it. But the fact i cant read my meters myself is worrying, the inventory has a meter reading section but i am unable to fill it in.

So dirt and stains are to be included? not just permanent knocks and scrapes?

Theres not enough room on the printed inventory they gave me.
shall i just start a A4 hand written to attach to their one???

Send the pics to them NOW?

Yes £550 deposit, protected properly i think. "Deposite protection service".
The agent is arla registered.

5 day time frame, so if they gave me the inventory on thu, when is the deadline? good fri and weekend and bank hol mon not included???

thankyou

I would send the inventory back, keeping a copy for yourself. You could send a set of photos and your own additional notes. You could sign the photos and you should mark on the inventory "Opening Inventory includes <number> signed photographs and <number> pages of additional notes."

Also against the meter readings you should put something like "Access to meters denied, responsibility only accepted once I have sight of meters and only from reading seen"

You should also write to the utilities and advise them that the Letting Agent has refused you access to the meters and that you will not accept transfer of supply until access is given.

dustinjames

cant i just email the photos to the agent, its recorded on email then isnt it?

so i manually cross out their words like "good" and do my own hand written notes on their inventory?
theres not enought room to write it all. shall i just start a similar inventory following thier style on a new paper?
how can i initial evey page if i dont agree with it?
"inventory includes x amount of photos emailed to ______ on such date for proof of state of flat" i can put that on inventory, sound good?

ill ring agent up , see what he says once i get going with detailed inventory.

Valli

and keep a photocopy of anything you are sending.

BitterAndTwisted

Just because an email has been sent does not mean that it has been read, understood or acted upon. If you put everything in writing and mail it to the agents and keep a copy of everything for your own records this should stand you in good stead IF you ever have to dispute deductions from your deposit at the end of the tenancy. You have been given all the advice above to protect yourself should the very worst happen. If you wanted to be doubly-certain you could send your correspondence by first class post, ensuring you get proof of postage and send from two different post offices on the same day. That way, any deposit arbitrator, magistrate or judge should have to accept of the balance of probabilities that at least one of the letters arrived at its correct destination.

When looking at the inventory and making notes and taking photos etcetera you should pay special attention to the state of the carpets and paintwork because landlords and their agents appear to like making deductions for cleaning these even if any stains or tears or whatever were present at the start of the tenancy. You need to prove that you didn't cause them. Is there no way that you could borrow a digital camera rather than relying on your mobile?

DVardysShadow

dustinjames wrote: »

cant i just email the photos to the agent, its recorded on email then isnt it?

so i manually cross out their words like "good" and do my own hand written notes on their inventory?
theres not enought room to write it all. shall i just start a similar inventory following thier style on a new paper?
how can i initial evey page if i dont agree with it?
"inventory includes x amount of photos emailed to ______ on such date for proof of state of flat" i can put that on inventory, sound good?

ill ring agent up , see what he says once i get going with detailed inventory.

By all means ring up agent. But bear in mind agent will advise you what is best for agent, not what is best for you. So it is a waste of time ringing him. You should do what you think is right with the inventory and let them tell you if they disagree. Of course ring up the agent for general problems.

You could do email, but your problem is proving what was sent - it is easy to lose your attachments. The phrase 'recorded on email' is meaningless. And [before Fire Fox arrives] don't use texting for important communications either.

Provided you include your notes either on the page or separately, making reference to them on their form, there should be no problem over initialling the pages - in fact this will protect you.

It does not matter how you alter their document. Your objective is to send back something which is a fair record of the state of everything at the beginning of the tenancy

ellawaude

We used to live in a flat. The electric was in a cupboard in the communal entrance, the gas in brown boxes outside, and the water under a little door on the pavement outside. Be sure you are checking the right one though, there may be differences between your flat number and plot number (we were no. 8 but plot 7, never quite worked it out). You should be able to see anything that you are paying for. Sounds a bit like they're hoping if they take care of it they can add the previous without you noticing.

Photographs, as clear and as many as possible regarding stains, broken things etc. It saves you time and money in the long run. The condition of things are subjective, if you don't agree - change them. Note stains on the carpets, marks on the wall, gaps in the paint, holes in the wall. Quite literally everything.

With regard to washing machines, boilers etc, check they work, they are clean (and also check dials, just give them a little tug, nothing excessive but so you know that they will work - been caught out on this one, was not impressed). Its a pain in the bum, but definitely worth it. If in doubt LIST IT HOW YOU SEE it, cannot stress this enough!

If you have a loft space, poke your head up and note anything left up there by previous tenants, landlords ect. Some estate agents charge for the removal of things after you have left, if it wasn't yours to start with that isn't fair. That's also something to consider when deciding whether to include things that they have forgotten from the inventory. If you are not willing to take it with you, maybe you need to. Alternatively it may be useful to abandon something hideous and give it to the charity shop.

The estate agents may seem nice and lovely now, but they are there to make money, and some (not all) will unfortunately use their tenants as easy ways to do this.


Hope this helps, hopefully you won't get caught out like we were! We still rent mind, just a different house and landlord!

dustinjames

i have had email correspondance before, to resolve discrepancies, and he has said the email is proof of words. eg there were 3 diff adresses on the documentation i signed for, as they have various flats in that area. tenancy agreement got manually changed and initialed but others were wrong still. He said i could change the addresses and just initial them, or they could, or they could re-drafe the papers.

yes the carpets are the worst thing there. Big crease flaring up in bedroom, i dont even know how to describe it, like a huge air bubble raising the carpet up, ill measure it too. And white tip ex/pain stain on carpet too.

how would a digital camera be better than my phone? the phone is 3.2 mega pixel and pics are quite good.
how would digital camera be better? you mean for date being digitally meta marked on the file?
yes i could get one from my friend or family.