Inventories

The best way to ensure your tenants take good care of your property is to provide an up-to-date and detailed inventory.

This will minimise future arguments over the deposit or any damage done to the property. If, say, the inventory states that the living room carpet is in excellent condition and six months later it’s covered in stains, you’ll have tangible proof to warrant withholding part of the deposit to have it cleaned.

You can prepare an inventory yourself or use a company to do it for you. Doing an inventory yourself will cut costs in the short term, but there can be some advantages too to using the services of a professional company.

Read POD's five top tips for getting your inventories right first time.

Preparing the right inventory will reduce your chances of disagreements with your tenants, and will provide good evidence if you do become embroiled in a dispute. Taking the time to do a detailed inventory now, will save you costs and effort later.