Do I need an inventory to make a claim against a tenant?

It is recommended you have an up to date inventory. However, you can make a claim without one.

An inventory and schedule of condition will protect you from any unwarranted disputes by the tenant at the end of the tenancy. If there is an insufficient, outdated or even worse no inventory then you will have no evidence of what the property was like at the start of the tenancy. This means that if you or your agent are unable to provide documentary evidence that the tenant caused damage, then you will not be in a strong position to make a claim, in the event the tenant contests the matter.

The inventory is not just a list of items placed in or on the premises, it should include a schedule of condition of the property itself as well as the fixtures, fittings and contents. The inventory should be drawn up from scratch when an agent first takes on the property or a new tenant moves in. Thereafter it should be updated and printed out at the beginning of each new tenancy.

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