Bristol and North Somerset Independent Inventories

What is an inventory?

A professional inventory report and schedule of condition details the exact condition of each room in your property and lists all contents and the condition thereof. The report covers walls, ceilings, flooring, windows, doors, furniture, soft furnishings, appliances and the basic condition of the garden. It also includes the number of keys issued and meter readings.

Who needs one?

Every landlord should have an inventory for each furnished or unfurnished property. The inventory provides the evidence of the condition of the property at the commencement of the tenancy and will be required in the event of a dispute.

Why an Independent Inventory Clerk?

The new Tenant Deposit Protection Scheme becomes law in England and Wales on the 6th April 2007 and will apply to all Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements, where a deposit is taken. This will have important implications for landlords. Independent authorised government companies will from this date hold deposits. The new Legislation is designed to protect tenants and Landlords will now be required to ‘prove their case’ if they wish to deduct from tenants deposits.

After the end of a tenancy the landlord and tenant will be asked to agree the terms of the deposit return. If they do not agree on any deductions to be made, (i.e. there is a dispute) it will be referred to the new adjudication services set in place. Adjudicators will review all documents (inventories, check in and check out reports etc) before reaching judgements on disputes. It is therefore vital that all evidence is full, detailed, unbiased and preferably independent. Inventories prepared by the landlords themselves could be viewed as biased, and not independent of either party. Without an inventory a landlord claim against a tenant may not be upheld.