Landlords come to be landlords for many different reasons, some due to inheriting a property, some because they have entered into a new relationship and their partner already had a property and some because they want another income stream. Whatever the reason they are entrusting a tenant to move in and look after something of high value. So how does a property inventory help? Well… are you sitting comfortably? Then we will begin…. an inventory tells a story, although we all hope it is one without high drama.
The philosophy at Carlean is that a landlord provides a home not just a house. When a tenant first views it they are imagining the life they can make for themselves there, it should be warm, dry and comply with safety regulations. The initial inventory is a moment in time, a detailed description of the property, it’s rooms and their current state – all illustrated with multiple photos, any dilapidations are noted and agreed between parties.
Carlean aims to complete mid-term assessments every 6 months up until the tenancy ends, notes made at these are referred to at every assessment thereafter, it builds a picture of how the tenant is looking after things, how responsive the landlord is to problems and is a continuous thread. Unlike good stories where there is a twist at the end the final inventory should not hold any surprises for either party.
Landlords get a great amount of reassurance by having an independent party review their investment and tenants also get reassurance that the tale of fair wear and tear is being accurately told, no nasty shocks or unfair retention of deposits. We are proud to say that we have always successfully negotiated deposit retentions when they are needed and we have also had the pleasure of returning many deposits in full.
So that’s our story over, have you one tell about using inventories? We would love to hear it.