Better Inventories Required

Better Evidence For Landlords

I have been very busy recently getting a new project off the ground which could really change the fortunes of landlords and letting agents in deposit protection disputes. 

The Problem With Inventories

All too often landlords lose deposit disputes simply because their inventory evidence doesn’t show what they need it to show. Inventory clerks tend to focus their attention on any parts of the property that are already damaged, whereas what landlords require is an inventory that shows the property in it’s undamaged condition at the beginning of the tenancy. Only with concrete evidence that the property was in good condition to start with can the landlord show that the tenant is responsible for any change in condition - damage to the property.

Ordinary inventories tend to come with a dozen or so photographs by way of supporting visual evidence. It is simply not possible with a few photographs to categorically demonstrate the condition and cleanliness of every part of every wall, every metre of skirting board, or the inside of every kitchen cupboard. 

A New Inventory

I have been working closely with the Video Inventory Network on their video inventory training course, developing a system that enables inventory clerks to take an average of 60,000 still images per inventory to corroborate their work.

The answer, of course, is to use a video camera to record 25 still images per second while conducting the inventory, enabling the clerk to provide close up images of every part of the property at no additional cost to the landlord.

The landlord receives a detailed written report as usual with chaptered DVDs of corresponding video, which the tenant can view and sign. If the tenant later disputes the landlord’s proposed deductions from the deposit, the landlord will have the written inventory, corroborated by visual evidence, which will show any given part of the property in the condition it was in at the beginning of the tenancy.

This could really redress the balance in deposit protection disputes.

Find Out More

The Video Inventory Network run two-day training courses on how to carry out video inventories. The course is ideal for landlords or letting agents looking to carry out high quality inventories in house, for experienced inventory clerks who want to add video inventories to their available products, and for those new to inventories wanting to set up a full time or part time inventory business.

See www.videoinventorynetwork.com for more details.