Inventory Bee | An Inventory Company

An Inventory alone provides a record of the fixtures/fittings, content and general decor. A Schedule of Condition on the other hand is a thorough statement highlighing the condition of the items listed in the inventory report. The condition of such items at the start of the tenancy should be cross-referenced against the condition they were found in at the end of tenancy once the tenants have vacated the property. You must have both reports in order to claim any damages as part of any disputes raised by either party.

Having an Inventory report should act as your safety net should your Tenants cause damage to your property. Only then will you be able to claim deductions from the Tenants deposit. Not having an Inventory, will make it extremely difficult to prove that any damage or missing items were as a result of the Tenants. Having this report will give you that peace of mind that should any damage be found at the property or your items of furniture have gone missing or disposed off without your consent, then you can claim for these at the end of the tenancy via the dispute resolution service offered by the deposit scheme.

The short answer, is yes. It is not sufficient to just include basic furnishings on an Inventory report. Irrespective of the property being unfurnished, it is important and good practice to record all other items that can be found around the home, such as; Sockets, light fittings/switches, curtains/blinds, carpets, wooden flooring - to name but a few

You are free to carry out your own Inventory, however, this is not always deemed acceptable should there be a dispute and the matter is passed over to an arbitrator. Using a third party to carry out an Inventory report is the best option to avoid being affected financially if there is a dispute and you cannot claim for damages or missing items. It's always worth noting that if an Inventory report was poorly conducted, your claim for deductions will be dismissed by the adjudicator and will aware in favour of the Tenant.

An inventory contains a list of items. A Shedule of Condition confirms the decorative state of the property, its cleanliness and condition of furniture, fixture and fittings. Therefore it would be difficult to provde that the condition of thuch items have changed.