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Check Outs can be at times emotional and heated situations to handle.

As Inventory professionals we can experience following scenarios :

1. We are given access to the property and we are left to inspect it.
2. Landlords are present, pointing out all details they expect us to capture in the report.
3. Tenants are present, accepting or discussing pointed out issues.
4. Tenants are present, defensive and agitated, challenging our work and guidelines we follow.
5. Landlords and tenants are present,  negotiating pointed out issues as they come.

Sometimes we also experience a ” warm up” to a challenging Check Out or so called “after-part”:

1. Landlord is chasing us via phone picturing us the subjective view of the property, its state of cleanliness or the character of the tenants.
2. Tenants or landlords are intensely requesting to amend comments in the Report.

These Check Outs are is likely to be followed by a dispute.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

We learned that as many people in the streets of London so many cultures, customs, expectations and approaches. This stands for both – tenants as well as landlords.

We learned that both tenants and landlords can act intimidating to us or to each other during the Check Out.

We learned that the work of a clerk can get considerably disrupted and prolonged, when either tenants or landlords or both parties are present during the full length of the Check Out.

We learned that both parties sometimes turn to us or pressure us as a judge when they disagree.

WHAT CHECK OUT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT:

1. Check out is an Inspection where the clerk note all changes which occurred at the premises during the tenancy with the reference to the Check In Inventory . Check Out is not to examine spaces, items,  which were not described in the Original Inventory.
2. Check Out is preformed by an unbiased person, who is knowledgeable about appointing responsibilities and understands wear & tear.  Check Out is not a ground for the dispute or lengthy negotiations. Its purpose its to inform parties about the changes in compare to Check In and answer to the relevant questions about wear and tear versus damage.
3. Check Out Report will suggest actions and charges as per training guidelines and  it is up to the parties to come to an agreement about it. Should any of the parties have questions about the report, they are welcome to arrange a conversation and receive answers. Should the parties fail to reach an agreement, they have an option to open a dispute.
4. Check Out is not a ground for abusive behavior or pressuring. No matter what has been said during the Check Out , the report will contain and assess all that has been discovered against the Check In with regards to industry guidelines.

HOW PIXEL INVENTORY HANDLE CHECK OUTS?

We encourage Landlords and tenants to attend the Check Out in following manner:

1. The Landlord is welcome to arrive at the start of the inspection.We invite him/her to spend few minutes to look around and we answer questions about any areas of concern. We allocate here 10-15 min. We take a note of what has been appointed to us/ we advice the landlord on wear and tear.
2. We kindly request the landlord and the tenants to leave the property. We inform them how much time we will need to complete the inspection and we invite the tenant to return for the Check Out tour. We remind them that this will take up to 30 min.
3. We perform the inspection.
4. We welcome the tenants /occasionally also the landlord back at the property. We tour them through the property advising them about whats been noticed and what will be noted in the Report.

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Early this year the government has published

on their website a guide to renting which

you may find helpful. To access the document

please see below or alternatively visit www.gov.uk

How to rent

• Blinds

All chains and cords on internal blinds must be min of 1.5 m above the floor. Safety devices  may need to be put in place to ensure this.

for more detailed info please visit :

Surveyor & fitters guidebook

• Banisters/ Handrails

Stairs should have a handrail on at least one side if they are less than 1m wide. They should have a handrail on both sides if they are wider than 1m. You do not need a handrail on the first two steps up. In all the buildings handrail height should be between 900mm and 1000mm measured to the top of the handrail to the pitch line. A 100mm sphere cannot pass through any openings between spindles or any other gaps in the handrail, such as between glass panels.

For more detail on stairs regulations please visit :

STAIR & STAIRCASE REGULATIONS

• Repairs responsibility

Tenant – Light bulbs, damage to another property due tenants action for instance leak damage extended to the next flat, damages to the property caused by tenants family and friends. Tenants should only carry out repairs if the tenancy agreement says they can.

Landlord –  Property structure and exterior including plasterwork, all sanitary fittings including pipes and drains, heating and hot water, electrical wiring, gas pipes, appliances, flues and ventilation, any damage caused by repairs.

• Energy efficiency 

As of 1 April 2018, you can ONLY grant new tenancies and renewals of existing tenancies for properties which have a minimum energy efficiency rating of E. So if your property has a rating of F or G – you will be letting the property illegally.

As of 1 April 2020, this will apply also to all existing tenancies. Whether they are within their fixed term or running as a periodic tenancy.  So you will not be able to let ANY properties which have a rating of F or G – unless there is an exemption.

ADR is an alternative way of resolving disputes, other than by using the
traditional route of the Courts. It is an evidence based process, where the
outcome is decided by an impartial and qualified adjudicator.
All tenancy deposit protection schemes use the ‘adjudication’ method to deal
with deposit disputes.

PARTIES IN DISPUTE
The parties in dispute are required to submit their evidence to the
adjudicator. The evidence provided should be both robust and reliable
in order to support a claim. They will need to do this within specified
timescales laid down by the individual deposit protection scheme. You
should check the processes you are required to follow with your
particular scheme.

ADR PROCESS
The adjudicator will analyse and consider the evidence and make a
binding decision as to how the disputed amount of the deposit should
be distributed. Remember that the tenant has no obligation to prove his
argument, because the deposit remains his property until successfully
claimed for by the landlord. A landlord must prove that he has, on the
‘balance of probability’, a legitimate claim to retain all or part of the
deposit. If he can’t, the adjudicator must return the disputed amount to
the tenant. The adjudicator’s decision will be based on the evidence
presented.

EVIDENCE
 You only need to submit evidence in support of a dispute where you
consider it is directly relevant to the dispute. So if there is a claim to a
damage contents only evidence of these is needed. If the dispute is
about cleanliness than only evidence to this is required.

 An adjudicator will take into account any admissions of liability by the
tenant; however evidence should still be provided to show how the
tenant has broken the tenancy agreement, and the loss suffered as a
result. Evidence which shows that the landlord tried to reach a
compromise, or to keep the amount of their claim to a minimum, is
helpful too.

ADR IS NOT :
 a process of mediation, arbitration, or counselling
 the parties will never be required to meet with the adjudicator.
 the adjudicator will not be visiting the property subject to the tenancy
agreement or dispute.
Where a check-in is challenged by the tenant, a full audit trail of what remedial action has occurred
should be provided and a revised checkin agreed and signed. It is preferable if check-in and check-
out inspections are produced in a similar format – where possible by the same person. To enable
meaningful comparisons to be made, it is also important that the same measurements of the
property’s condition are used in both reports.

It is sensible to carry out periodic inspections of the property during the tenancy. These naturally are not as detailed as check-in and check-out inspections at the start and
end of the tenancy.