Property Inventory Report always captures the state of the property & the state of its cleanliness as seen at the time of the inspection.
By the very definition above it is clear that making amendments to an Inventory is a controversial task.
Making amendments to the report is a rather unusual practice and defeats the purpose and value of the report, at least partially.
Life happens
Although you have done everything to secure a smooth start to the tenancy some things may not be in your control:
- Cleaners cancelled on you or need to reschedule
- An unforeseen maintenance issue occurred
- Furniture item has not been delivered on time
- Etc.
What is an inventory report amendment?
An amendment is a change made to the report after the property inspection has taken place. For example:
You are supplying new cooker for the starting tenancy and it will be delivered after the move in date.
What is not an Inventory report amendment?
An amendment can not be considered any of the following:
- Redecorations and other major changes
If you are repainting your property after the inspection took place this can not be amended in the report.
Painting works is a major change and requires revisiting and reinspecting the property. Such Updates to an inventory are usually priced as regular bookings.
- Altering the report
Requests such as removing marks which has been additionally cleaned is not an acceptable amendment
Any changes such as additional cleaning would require reinspecting the property. What could be added though is an additional note in the schedule of condition stating that additional cleaning took places to rectify stated cleaning issues. A receipt for the service would be needed and attached as screen shot by the comment.
Requests such as removing a defect noted on the report is not an acceptable amendment
Defects can not be removed. Should you fix any defects on the premises the property would need to be re- inspected. If you employed relevant service providers to fix a particular defect you wish to be amended , you could provide the receipt of the services and an additional note could be added to the report.
- Number of amendments
If there is one or two burning issues for a change- it may be classified as a reasonable request for amendments.
With Pixel Inventory we are able to accommodate you with up to 10 simple changes for a fee. Anything more requires a separate appointment in order to reinspect the property.
The ethics of the Amendments
- Provide clear evidence of the changes you are requesting to be made
- Ask your tenants in writing to inspect the item in question and confirm it’s state is as expected. This is only fair to the tenant . Simultaneously, once the tenant confirms the state of the item – you can refer to this in case of any issues occurred at the end of the tenancy. You should also check with your tenant if contracted workers did not cause any (accidental) damage.
The charges for making amendments to an inventory
Amending the report is not a standard service and it is not included in the inventory booking you make.
The clerks are employed or contracted to inspect the property and compile the report only.
Your Inventory Clerk or company may charge you a fee for amendments. Pixel Inventory currently charges £2 per 1 photo and comment.
How to deal with needed amendments?
- Cover it yourself.
Store your receipts for any paid works that reflected upon the changes. Email them to your managing agent if suitable.
Make your own photographs of the changes and email them to your tenants and Letting agent if you have one.
If appropriate you can use an amendment sheet. Both you and your tenants need to be able to access, amend, sign & exchange such sheet. Printed, signed and scanned version may proof equally useful.
- Query about amendments with your inventory provider.
Find out if your inventory provider is able to help you with any amendments. Find out what you will be charged for the amendments and what you need to provide in order for your report to be amended.
What about a Tenants Comments / Tenant Amendments?
Tenants have usually 7 days at the tenancy start to read through their inventory report and raise any issues or add any necessary observations to it. Such amendments to the report are generally accepted by the industry standards.
It is the tenants responsibility to review the report and agree It to be an accurate record of the state of the property. If no issues are raised with the initial days of the tenancy the report is usually considered to be accepted as accurate record by all parties.
The Tenancy Deposit scheme confirms the acceptance of tenants additions in their PDF guide To inventories, Check In & Check Out reports. The TDS states in their paper that any comments or amendments added by the tenant should be noted clearly and confirmed by the landlord/ agent as agreed.
Illustrations
- The tenant is moving in and rearranges the the property furniture in order to fit some of their own. They discover a burn mark on the carpet where previously stood a bedside cabinet. Naturally, they wish this to be recorded in the report. They make a photograph and add a comment describing the defect found.
- Another example could be a broken bed slat. Inventory inspections are more less visual inspections and lifting mattresses is not standard by most companies. The mattresses are often heavy, sometimes beds are fully dressed. Once tenants move in they have the benefit of examining the property contents and raise any discrepancies.
Not all letting agents are forwarding the inventory reports to the tenants to review. It is not rare that tenants make their own record of photographs and descriptions of defects noticed after move in. Such record should be emailed to the landlord or letting agent ASAP.
Although not included in the inventory report, this may represent efficient evidence in case of a tenancy deposit dispute.
Making amendments to a property inventory report is generally discouraged. You should always try to ensure that the property is in final and satisfying state when the inventory clerk arrives. But in case of the unavoidable we hope we provided you with answers and a good set of suggestions to handle the matter.
