Inventory and Schedule of Condition (as important as the Tenancy Agreement)

The Total Letting Service is pleased to announce membership to the Association of Professeional Inventory Providers.

The Total Letting Service pride themselves on being the market leaders and are now the only specialist letting agents in the area who have achieved not only ARLA status but have continued in the professional development of the Company within this very important, and often neglected, part of property management. Through the specialist training and successful passing of the exams, The Total Letting Service are pleased to be able to bring this added benefit to our clients.

Why is an Inventory and Schedule of Condition essential?

The Total Letting Service have continued to lead the market in the area and are pleased to confirm they are now members of The Association of Professional Inventory Providers , currently the only recognised and regulated organisation which deals exclusively with the inventory and schedule of condition document.

Why did The Total Letting Service Decide to join "APIP"?

The Association of Professional Inventory Providers (APIP) aims to provide a service for either in-house or independent inventory providers - by offering a recognised standard of inventory provision, provision of advice and guidance and opportunities for professional development.

Why is it so important to have a professionally drawn up inventory?

A detailed inventory has always been required as a matter of best practice however with recent changes in legislation all tenancies should, New Housing Act 2004 relating to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme regulations now firmly highlight how essential a correct inventory and schedule of condition is, however this is not the only document required as if at the end of the tenancy should there be a dispute between Landlord / Agent and Tenant , the check in report will also be crucial to deciding on fair wear and tear or damage.

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme regulations are quite clear , should the matter remain unresolved and need to be sent to the scheme administrators, then the tenancy, inventory and schedule of condition together with the check in and check out paperwork is required before any adjudication can be made. Failure to supply these documents usually lead to the Landlord not receiving the full amount claimed.

Recent Cases which have been reviewed by an independent case examiner following disputes at the end of the tenancy :

Briefly the facts of the case were:-

Example 1

At the end of the tenancy the Landlord had claimed the whole deposit due to the condition of the property . the tenant disputed the facts as according to the tenant the quality and condition of the property at move in however there was no supporting paperwork to confirm . The Tenant has removed the Landlords good and stored them in the garden , when returned to the property at the end of the tenancy, the landlords property as now "unusable" according to the Landlords Claim . Due to the lack of evidence , the adjudicator could only allow a proportion of the total cost to be deducted from the Deposit.

Example 2

The check out report reflected stains on the carpets, which had been cleaned by a contractor employed by the tenant. Further cleaning was required to remove the stains to bring it back to acceptable standard. The adjudicator agreed the tenant should cover the cost.

Vinyl in the kitchen at check out had a number of marks / small tears not reflected in the original check in report. The landlord claimed the cost of a new flooring , the adjudicator agreed as the flooring should have lasted 10 years, and in fact was only 1 year old, the Landlord had lost 9 years of use. The Tenant was liable to pay 9/10th of the cost of the replacement.

Other minor works including a shower rail, TV aerial were required however the adjudicator decided the tenant should only pay a contribution towards the repairs.

For further examples of recent cases, please go to the dispute service website: www.thedisputeservice.co.uk.

REMEMBER , THE INVENTORY AND SCHDULE OF CONDITION TOGETHER WITH THE CHECK IN REPORT AND CHECK OUT REPORTS PROTECT THE PROPERTY, THE LANDLORD AND THE TENANT!

[Back to top]