Protecting Your Rent Deposit: What to Do If Your Landlord Hasn’t Arranged an Inventory
The world of private renting can be overwhelming, even if you consider yourself a seasoned professional. There are many components to consider when it comes to protecting your rent deposit – one of the most important being inventories.
In this blog, we’re going to explain what you should do if your landlord hasn’t arranged an inventory, ensuring you can check out of your home with your deposit intact. Let’s dive in.
What Is an Inventory?
Put simply, an inventory is a list that details the contents and condition of your landlord's property. Often displayed in the form of a table, this handy document allows landlords, tenants and agents to get a clearer picture of the state of your home – both when you move in and out.
How Do Inventories Help Tenants?
With rental costs rising by the year, deposit amounts required to secure a property are higher than ever before. As a tenant, it’s essential to ensure that the proper protections are in place to ensure you get the full amount back at the end of your tenancy.
A rental inventory is one of the best tools you can utilise in order to achieve this. By recording the exact condition of your home and the state of any furnishings included, you’ll have solid proof to dispute any unfounded claims on your tenant deposit.
Now we’ve established what an inventory is and why they’re so vital to successful (and stress-free) renting, let’s take a look at what you should do if your landlord doesn’t arrange one.
How to Create Your Own Renting Inventory
Just because your landlord opts out of an inventory, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go ahead and create one for yourself. As well as providing peace of mind in case of a dispute, inventories also provide a certain level of legal protection.
Here are the steps you should take to make your own renting inventory!
Record the Exact Condition of Your Home
As well as your photo album, You should also create a written record of the property’s exact condition at the time of arrival including a list of each item of furniture and fittings.
Create a simple table and move from room to room, describing how each room looks visually. This should include a description of the decor, what furniture items are present and how clean the property is.
Top Tip: Create your own rating system. That way, you can rate each room or item of furniture, backed up by your photos as evidence.
Take High-Quality Photos
The first next step is to take high-quality photos, ideally during daylight hours. This will ensure they’re clear and easy to understand for both your future self and your landlord.
Pay attention to items or issues that usually cause deposit disputes, such as:
Scuffs or scrapes to walls and flooring
Any notable damage to furniture (burns, stains and tears included)
Condition of cleanliness
Current state of outdoor areas
Expensive-looking items
You can never have too many photos in your inventory, so don’t be afraid to get carried away. While capturing your snaps, don’t forget to photograph inside of your appliances, cupboards and any other storage areas too!
Store Photos In a Digital Dated Album
Once you’ve collected all of your photos, make sure to store them in a virtual album that’s dated – or at least make sure they’re time-stamped. This will prevent problems down the line if your landlord or agent disputes when the photos were taken.
Once I’ve Created an Inventory, What Should I Do With It?
You’ve got a complete table and a photo album full of time-stamped pictures – now what?
An inventory becomes its most helpful in protecting your tenant deposit when you share it with your landlord, so don’t be afraid to send over a copy. Request for them to sign the document and review the photos you’ve included so that you’re both on the same page. Inventories also protect landlords from any damage to their investment, so it’s beneficial for both parties involved in the agreement.
Once everything has been reviewed and signed, print out a copy for your records and keep a copy backed up to your computer. Ideally, your tenancy will end amicably and your deposit will be returned to you in full. If this isn’t the case and you disagree with the charges, you’ll know exactly where to find your inventory to dispute them!