Residential Inventory Services

Renting property can be a tricky business, for both landlords and tenants. A marked wall, maybe a broken window or ripped carpet can cost the tenant a hefty deposit. The landlord may feel money needs to be spent on the property before it can be rented out again.

A professionally drawn up Inventory Report will protect both tenant and landlord against any unnecessary disputes at the end of the tenancy. If there is insufficient information or no inventory then there is no evidence on the condition of the property prior to the commencement of the tenancy. Without documented evidence it would be difficult to make a claim against the tenant for damages, especially in the event that that tenant contests the claim.

A professionally prepared independent Inventory provides a complete description of a property, and its contents. Everything is included, from the type and condition of interior decoration to the number of saucers, and whether any of them are chipped.

Inventories are equally important for unfurnished and furnished properties. To have it prepared by an independent inventory service ensures impartiality and gives confidence to both the landlord and the tenant in the event of a dispute.

An inventory report is a document which lists the contents (And the condition of the contents) of the property. This includes everything: the furniture, fixtures and fittings, doors, walls, ceilings, lights, flooring and so on.

It is usually carried out at the start of a tenancy and details the state of the items and property at that time. When signed by the landlord and tenant it becomes a legally binding document and an integral part of the rental agreement.

Property Inventory Reports are most effective when both the tenant and landlord have full confidence in them. In our experience, that normally only happens when the inventory is completed by an independent specialist.

Of course, there’s little that you can do when a tenant takes a furnished property and returns it unfurnished after disappearing with the contents. However our research shows that it’s not just the big things that upset agents and landlords, the little ones can cause headaches too. Think about scuffing on the wall or nicotine stains on the ceiling of a non-smoking flat.

At Ashworth Group, we help take the hassle out of renting or letting so that you can rent in confidence.

Yes, because the inventory report will also point out the condition of the walls, curtains, carpets, bathroom, kitchen appliances and the property as it stands.

Some landlords believe that if their property is unfurnished, then they do not need an inventory report, because there is very little that can be stolen, broken or damaged.

However, just think about your beautiful white walls being painted pink and purple and the tenant leaves them in that state when they leave!

Allowing us to take care of your inventory needs provides you with several distinct benefits:

• Create More Time - Our service gives you more time to concentrate on more urgent matters. We take care of everything from booking the appointment to hand delivering the Inventory Report to your premises.
• Control Your Costs - Using Ashworth for your inventory needs will cost you substantially less than employing a full time inventory clerk.
• Never Miss an Opportunity - We have several inventory clerks available to you at short notice across a wide range of London areas – ensuring we can meet your needs as and when they arise.
• Records Are Always Retained - We scan and electronically store copies of all relevant Inventory paperwork meaning you will always have quick access to any past inventories should you need them.
• Digital Photography - We always provide you with Digital photographs on all our reports.

Inventory Sample

Using an Independent Inventory provider like Ashworth Group is beneficial in many ways. The most obvious being that you do not need to invest a significant amount of time in creating an inventory yourself.

Instead, you can carry on running your business and focussing on what's important to you, whilst having the peace of mind that a qualified professional is going to get the job done right.

In our experience the best way to avoid misinterpretations and disagreements is by combining the Inventory Report with digital photographs.  At Ashworth Group we take on average over 100 photographs per inventory and store any photos not used in the inventory on our secure server for future reference.

The photos identify all marks, scratches, stains and any damage. These photographs complement the written description of our Property Inventory Report and thus helps to avoid any unnecessary disputes.

Should a dispute arise about the amount of deposit to be returned, the protecting scheme will involve the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. If both landlord and tenant agree to use the ADR to resolve the dispute, they are agreeing to be bound by its decision.

In the case of a custodial scheme, the scheme will continue to hold the amount until the ADR or the courts come to a decision.

In the case of insurance schemes, the landlord must hand over the disputed amount to the scheme for safekeeping until the dispute is resolved. The scheme administrator will be responsible for returning the final amounts to landlord or tenant in accordance with the decision of the ADR or the courts.

If a landlord fails to transfer the disputed amount into the scheme, the scheme will pay the amount due to the tenant decided by the ADR or the courts and the scheme will proceed to recover the money from the landlord.