Landlord Inventory Form

What is an inventory?

The Inventory is a listing of all the contents of a property and a record of the condition of the property. It’s also referred to as a “schedule of condition“. The form is designed to help monitor the condition of the property/items before a tenant moves in and just before a tenant leaves, so it can be made clear what damages, if any, need to be paid for out of the deposit.

This is a step often skipped by landlords’ and tenants’, when it really shouldn’t be. An inventory can prevent a lot of disputes between tenants and landlords, so it’s extremely useful.

How is an Inventory prepared?

The Landlord, Letting Agent or an Independent Inventory Clerk should prepare the Inventory which should be agreed with the tenant on move-in day. The Landlord/Agent and tenant(s) should sign the Inventory and initial every page to signify agreement.

Photographic or video evidence of the property contents and condition is optional but often a wise safety net. How thorough you want to be can often depend on how valuable the items in the property are. Obviously the more valuable items like a cooker and washing machine should be captured with imagery, so there is no question of their condition.

When Should the inventory be cross-checked?

It is common, and advisable, for landlords or agents to make regular inspections when managing a tenancy. Inspecting on a quarterly basis (every 3 months) to compare the inventory with the current condition should be perfectly acceptable to both parties. It’s important to remember that a tenant needs 24 hour notice in writing before an inspection is made.

The final inventory check at the end of tenancy

Ideally, on move out day the landlord should do a final inventory check. The inventory must be checked and agreed with the tenant before the deposit being returned.

It’s imperative that the inventory is checked immediately before the tenant leaving, so there can be no argument about any damage occurring after the tenant has gone. The deposit should only be handed back with in 7 to 14 days if there are no outstanding issues when the inspection is complete.

What happens if items have been damaged?

If there’s a general consensus between the parties on what has been damaged, then estimates should be drawn up for repairs/replacements. The tenant should be informed of all the costs in writing and amounts of deductions from the deposit.

A tenancy deposit scheme should be holding the deposit, so they should be made aware of what has been agreed, so they can distribute the deposit accordingly.

If the deposit doesn’t cover the amount needed to carry out the repairs, an invoice itemising all costs involved for additional payments should be sent to the tenant. If the tenant is insured, this evidence should be provided for the insurance company.

If items need to be replaced then it’s the landlords obligation to consider betterment. This means that the original age and condition of the replaced item should be taken into account when estimating the replacement cost.

What if the parties Cannot Agree?

If the parties cannot reach agreement as to which items have been damaged, the severity of the damage, the repair or replacement costs etc, then great care should be taken in:

• recording the state and condition with photographs
• obtaining estimates and repair or replacement costs
• informing the tenant/landlord in writing

All disputes will be handled by the tenancy deposit scheme the money is secured with. They will offer a free service to help resolve disputes.

Each scheme will contain an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service, so both tenant and landlord will need to contact the appointed scheme. If both landlord and tenant agree to use the service, they will have to agree to accept its decision and will not be able to apply to the courts. If you or your landlord do not agree to use the Tenancy Deposit Scheme service then the dispute will usually go to the county court.

Is an Inventory needed for an unfurnished property?

The Short answer is yes. Even if a property is deemed as unfurnished, there will still be items that can be damaged and costly to replace e.g sinks, carpets, condition of walls etc. Consequently, it is still crucial to have a detailed inventory.

Download Property Inventory Form

Property Inventory Form

The form can be modified so it suits your requirements.

Does anyone use an Inventory Form, if so, has it been helpful?

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30 Comments - join the conversation...

Marcus Hill2008-06-17 13:27:46 Thank you for the property inventory, very helpful 1

Gurpreet Khaira2009-03-10 12:07:14 Excellent article, thank you very much for the form, great stuff! 2

sonni2009-05-30 16:01:32 An estate agent said that an inventory completed by the landlord might not have much weight in court. Does anyone know if this is true and should a professional service be used or is this just another money making scheme? 3

joan2009-07-22 21:55:14 Thank you very much for the information-i have learnt something and also the form-i needed some help and this was it- 4

mark standing2009-08-15 19:41:49 Thanks very much,great form,nice to share 5

andy cameron2009-10-02 15:48:27 hi thanks for free download and allowing me to veiw the site . who's the Honey on the video ?.... is she single ? 6

The Landlord2009-10-02 23:09:03 Hey Andy,
She's my friend and no, she's not single :) 7

James2009-10-08 13:18:59 Hi,
Wicked site and a great template for an inventory form.
I work for an inventory company and just wanted to answer sonni.
You an do your own inventories but your estate agent was right to advise you otherwise. An inventory is supposed to be an independant document that does not favour either party.
Even if the tennant signs the document that you have written, when it comes to the check out they may not agree to sign to the changes and that is were the problem occurs.

Hope i helped 8

Jools2009-10-08 17:51:45 Wondered where the lady had gone! You keeping her to yourself Landlord? 9

videoinventory2010-02-10 15:59:27 Sonni, yes to a degree, inventories done by credible third parties are better in court. Actually, video inventories are the recommended standard these days. 10

Stan2010-02-23 16:02:15 A property inventory should be done by a third party so that should you need to use it as evidence in a dispute it will stand up in court. 11

Christian2010-07-01 14:35:30 This is a very well written the advice is 100 percent correct keep up the good informative work

l am an Inventory Clerk and it is positive to see people keeping everyone informed 12

Christian2010-07-01 14:55:36 This message is to sonni No3

You can do your own inventory as a landlord or a letting agent. but this is not advisable and your letting agent has advised you correctly.
This definately not a money making scheme for anyone. it became law in 2007 that an inventory would have to be taken Info contained in Housing act 2004
as mentioned earlier you may do your own report but you will find problems when your tenant decides it was not impartial. despite the fact they have 14 days to go over the property and point out any defects.
An independant report will carry much more weight if any disputes arise and the landlord is more likely to get rewarded with an independant inventory report opposed to their own.

Just a small word of warning if you decieded to skip the inventory your tenant can take you to court and the judge will order you pay them back 3x the amount of deposit given and you will not be able to evict under section 21

hope this info is helpful Deposit scheme info. 13

Craig2010-07-07 16:59:15 "Just a small word of warning if you decieded to skip the inventory your tenant can take you to court and the judge will order you pay them back 3x the amount of deposit given and you will not be able to evict under section 21"

This is wrong, this is attributed to not lodging the deposit correctly and has nothing to do with skipping an inventory, skip an inventory and skip any chance of getting it right in court as you'll have no evidence to back you up. 14

Margaret2010-07-28 00:21:23 I obtained my inventory from an agency and felt it was lacking in certain areas so I updated it and made it more specific to the individual property I am renting. However, if both you (as a Landlord) and the tenant go over the inventory thoroughly and make any changes as you both see fit and both parties initial the changes on each others copy at that time, I cannot see why this would not stand up in court. I recently paid an inventory company to perform an 'inventory/check in' and I can honestly say I could have done a better job myself and saved the £110.00 it cost me! 15

Tilly2010-09-06 14:47:39 Does the landlord have to supply you with an inventory and if it is a furnished property and you buy your own things and the landlord removes his, does the inventory then have to be changed? I never recieved one and since living here have replaced nearly everything yet nothing has been put down in writing, where do i stand when i go to leave in 4 weeks? 16

The Landlord2010-09-06 15:06:59 Hey Tilly,

Inventories are completely optional, there is no law enforcing them to exist. But there should always be one in place, just to avoid complications.

The fact you chose to replace items was your decision, so I'm afraid there's not much you can do. Unless you kept the original items you replaced, you'll most likely have to leave the new replacements in the property.

I personally wouldn't have replaced anything which was the landlord's responsibility to do. 17

Helen2011-01-10 16:48:34 Have been a tenant in a property for 10 wks. landlord has just given me a handwritten inventory and she has put down that 2 rooms have new carpets.I bought these carpets myself and had them fitted with the landlords agreement. I would have left them in on vacancy anyway but surely she should not have them on her inventory, as they are mine. very confused. Helen 18

Newlandlord832011-01-28 15:21:29 Thanks! Great help! 19

Lizzy2011-02-02 10:43:48 I work for a esate agent and all tenants should be supplied with an inventory report either by the landlord or by the estate agent. Inventory which are manually done can have lots of errors in them so make sure that you check and sign the inventory so that you verify the condition of the property. We use an inventory software from Isurvey Inventory which allows us not only to document the condition of all fixed and non fixed items in the property but also to take supporting pictures. There website is www.isurvey-inventory.co.uk/

Using a dedidacted inventory software means that any damage be it large or small is included in the inventory at the time of check in so that when the tenancy ends your deposit is protected unless you have made any additional damage to items which cannot be classed as wear and tear. Tenants should always ask landlords or estate agents for an inventory before they move into the property. 20

Graham2011-02-14 16:13:43 A tenant has been in my furnished property for 4.5 years; it was new when they moved in, as was furnishings (prior to deposit secure period. Tenants have moved out and left lots of damage.. this exceeds the deposit i hold by about 100%.

Tenants say they have nothing to pay as they have been in property 4.5 years.. normal wear and tear, their term. However I want to clame for damage i.e. quality sofas covers torn and frame broken and fridge bosch handle broken and freezer draws broken (cannot repair as more than new fridge) etc etc. Can anyone advise what i should charge them.. replacement, 50% or 25%?

Thanks Graham 21

Kathy Canton2011-03-08 03:43:45 Thank you!! 22

chris2011-03-16 19:35:24 We rent from a Landlady, through a letting agency. When we moved in 6 months ago, the agency said the inventory was done by an external third party and was delayed, and we would be receiving our copy through the post soon. We never did. Our landlady has since changed the agency due to them being utterly useless. The new agency is still trying to track down this missing inventory. Where do we stand legally in terms of our deposit, if, when we leave, we still have not seen/checked/signed a copy of the inventory? How can we prove something isn't missing or damaged? 23

Piazope2011-03-17 13:46:39 Chris,

May I suggest you keep all paperwork related to this subject, if you have not written to the landlady about this, do so immediately, preferbly recorded post and keep a copy of this letter and her reply, if she does not reply note this on the copy of the letter you sent her, should she reply verbally make an exact note of what she said.

I beleive the onus is on the landlady to provide this information; if she does not you will have proof you tried your best, and she failed you.

IMHO 24

chris2011-03-20 16:08:21 Thanks for the advice, appreciate it! 25

Bellapod2011-03-21 15:28:26 As someone who runs their own inventory business, an inventory is essential.
I have seen properties left in disrepair and needing replacements but due to no inventory being given, the tenant has been able to get away with it.
On an alternate note, I have seen properties which have been stated wrongly that there is damage from the tenant but the damage was already there!
An independent inventory service is quite useful due to the inventory creators being non bias and having no connection to either landlord, agency or tenant. 26

Bellapod2011-04-04 09:01:28 For a start Sophi, a handwritten inventory is not great!! Especially as the Landlord can add things to it as they go along.
Were you there when the inventory took place (as in standing there)? 27

Karin Hall2011-07-07 08:55:33 Hi,
here's a question... We just started renting a house which is part furnished. Orfiginally we wanted it unfurnished, but just before signing the lease got told that the furniture that was in there would have to stay after all. Part of this is a big unit in the living room. We didn't like it, but ok, we could put up with it.
On moving in now though, it turns out that the unit in the living room is not only there, but it is also full of books, and locked with the keys missing, so we can't even use it! There is also one other cupboard with is locked, and I assume is full of stuff, and the loft is also locked. Is this legal? Surely if you agree to rent a house, then it should be the whole house, not with stuff locked up and full of the landlords stuff?!?!?! Can anybody advise? 28

Josephine2011-07-07 09:42:07 We have been in a property 2 years and just had an inspection. Thee is a large crack across the corner of the baby's room window which we've noticed before but assumed it was there when we moved in. Now the agency are trying to say we've done it but we've done nothing in the room that could have caused it and it's been there as long as we can remember. Apparently it's not listed on the inventory. I don't think they have photos of the windows from when we moved in and neither do we, where do we stand? 29

Karla Winter2011-07-20 14:44:57 Many thanks for the inventory which is very useful. Like other subscribers, my estate agent wanted over £100 for my unfurnished property for letting and you have saved me the money.

Gratefully yours,


Karla
Croydon 30

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