Are you a landlord or an agent or even the caretaker of a rental property? Then you should be keeping a landlord inventory checklist. This is a record of the fittings in the rental property and their respective conditions, taken at the time the tenant moves in and when he or she is moving out. This serves as the reference point in case there are some breakages or damage to the furniture or property when the tenant moves out. If this is the case, all or part of the security deposit will be used to cover the costs.

Landlord inventory checklist is a must;the landlord should ensure that it is taken correctly and kept in good order with updates. Not only the should the landlord ensure that the inventory is taken and kept, but also the tenant should check that it’s done because it  would act as proof in case of future problems and disputes concerning the contents of the property.As well as taking the inventory, it is also advisable to take some pictures and possibly videos of the place so it’s clear exactly what the condition of both the place and its contents are in.

The landlord inventory checklist can be obtained from several places. You can obtain one from your solicitor if you have one or from any agent or advisor you use. Alternatively, you can download it from the internet, there are a few different ones to choose from or you can make your own landlord inventory checklist.

Updating a Landlord Inventory Checklist

It is very important that the landlord inventory checklist is kept up to date. This is done by occasionally rechecking the condition of the property and it is highly recommended that it should be done every three months or so.

During these rechecks, the condition of the property is checked and recorded as before. If any damage has occurred, or any equipment or furniturehas fallen into disrepair, it will be noted and decided whose responsibility it is to fix or replace it.  Each time an inventory checklist is done, it should include photos and videos where appropriate and be dated and signed by both parties.

Benefits of the Landlord Inventory Checklist

This document has several benefits both to the tenant and the landlord, the main one being that it keeps and provides a true picture of the state of the facility at key times, especially on the tenant’s arrival and departure from the premises. This makes arguments over what damages, if any, should be paid much simpler to resolve as both parties can simply refer to  the list to see what is and isn’t in place.

The updates of the inventory also help a landlord keep an eye on a property and enable him to ensure there is no extreme damage of the property during the tenancy. To the tenant, the landlord inventory checklist acts to protect him or her from unscrupulous landlords who may refuse to return the security deposit for no apparent reason when you move out.