Inventory Check

frankie1star

could someone point me in the direction of suitable inventory check forms, for when I rent my house out.

My agent has a company, but they want to charge £140, and I am sure if I had the forms I could get a meticulous friend to do it.

BitterAndTwisted

An inventory check is an allowable expense which you can offset against income on your tax return. Also, the check-in is usually paid for by the landlord but the check-out is paid for by the tenant, so this could be an expense which you might have to bear every year, or perhaps even less frequently if you have good tenants who stay put for a decent amount of time so why would you want to do this on the cheap?

G_M

I sympathise with the OP - it's an avoidable overhead and one which is unfair to put onto the tenant too.
Join the RLA to get access to advice and forms free, or pay them £9 for an inventory form as a non-member.

Landlordzone also provides links to forms.

Leory

Some companies are vastly different in the quality of their checks also.

i have been in some apts with detail such as '3 matching glasses, 1 not matched' '2 blue cups etc'

but last place said 'assortment of kitchen cutlery and glasses'

it didnt mention the drill and tools under the sink (or plant pot with soil in!) so i took it when i left. just aswell as they tried charging me for a stereo i had left (i didnt, it was the landlords but not on the inventory)

A good inventory can be worth its weight if you get bad tenants, with a poor one or not done correctly you could struggle

frankie1star

Its not a question of doing it on the cheap, its a question of getting the best for the value. I realise the cost can go against my tax, however I have managed to find cheaper alternatives for all the other services e.g. gas certificate, elec certificate, and epcs, than those offered by the agent. A couple of other landlords I have spoken to say they do it themselves, and as I am not letting the house furnished I thought that this might be a sensible option, backed up with photographs

adg1

With the rules on tenancy deposits and releasing them at the end of tenancy I would be extremely wary of doing your own inventory check in.

Without a third party inventory (ie not you or the tenant, maybe not even the agent?) you will be highly unlikely to be able to claim back any costs from their deposit.

clutton_2

i do inventories for a fellow landlord and he does mine.... we use forms from landlordzone

prudryden

It probably would be better to use an "Independant Inventory Clerk". They are generally considered expert witnesses in the unlikely event it goes to court. Using a friend may not have the same impact if there is any question on the validity of the inventory.

tbs624

OP - there is nothing to stop you doing your own inventory, for example, a paper version with a video walk through as well if you wish

A couple of LL mates doing inventories for one another is no more "independent" than one LL doing the job him/herself.

So long as both you and your T sign to agree that it is an accurate record of the condition of the property at the start, and you both retain a copy, there is unlikely to be a problem. You would obviously need to give your T some time to go through it and mark down any statement of condition with which they do not agree.

If you google "independent inventory clerks" you can pull up some detailed examples - the level you wish to go to is up to you but the more in depth it is, the more it protects both parties from arguments later on.

tbs624

adg1 wrote: »

Without a third party inventory (ie not you or the tenant, maybe not even the agent?) you will be highly unlikely to be able to claim back any costs from their deposit.

That's a nonsense: provided that both LL and T have signed to agree the inventory it will stand. Any receipts for new items should also be made available ( all LLs of course keeping their paperwork in good order for tax purposes)