As all landlords are aware, producing a detailed inventory when a tenant checks in and checks out of a property is the best way to avoid exposure to a costly dispute over alleged damage and/or wear and tear.
In the good old days, landlords would write a detailed and descriptive list of existing damage plus the entire contents of the property, but in these modern times of fancy technology, a detailed written inventory has in many cases been superseded by the use of video film footage and photographs, with many landlords feeling that this is more than enough to protect them if tenants cause damage and they need to make a claim for repairs.
Why are videos and photographs not enough to protect a landlord from financial loss?
The vast majority of the time, whilst video film footage and photographs can be useful for highlighting extensive areas of damage such as stains on carpets or broken kitchen units, they not enough on their own because they usually fail to show the small detail such as cuts to worktops and cracks to porcelain sinks. And without sufficient evidence to back up claims made in a dispute, the case will be lost.
However, photographs and films are still very useful as long as you follow certain guidelines:
- Always date stamp photos and film footage.
- Take before and after shots and include a written narrative to provide extra detail .
- Make sure the scale of the picture is clearly shown.
- Use a good quality printer and print large photos.
