No Letting Go Supporting Mandatory Landlord Inventories

No Letting Go are proud to support the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) in their bid for mandatory inventories for all private residential tenancies. An independent inventory ensures there’s no room for ambiguity during the check-in and check-out procedures – this dramatically reduces the number of deposit disputes.

Evidence of Fulfilled Landlord Obligations

We would like to go a step further. There are some health and safety requirements no landlord can ignore! We feel inventories should be combined with compliance reporting. A detailed inventory at the start and end of a tenancy can act as a crucial document which acts as evidence of a landlord fulfilling their health and safety obligations.

The report could also work as evidence of a landlord complying with:

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations 2015
• Fire and furnishing safety regulations 1988

A Duty of Care

Nick Lyons, CEO of No Letting Go spoke to Landlord Today regarding the topic:

“Independent inventory providers have a duty of care to protect the interests of both landlords and tenants alike. The government has introduced legislation to protect tenants but with no real effective means to monitor it.

“The introduction of a compulsory combined inventory and compliance report for all let properties compiled by trained, independent professionals will help ensure that landlords meet their legal responsibilities and assist the government and trading standards to police the landlord’s requirement to protect tenants.”

Why Is the Petition Important?

The petition is being put forward by the AIIC. This is to encourage the government to introduce mandatory inventory reporting as part of its ongoing plans to increase regulation in the Private Rented Sector.

The AIIC sees mandatory independent inventory reporting as the next step from the 2007 introduction of compulsory tenancy deposit protection. This is because there’s not been additional legislation concerning the documents or evidence needed to resolve deposit disputes.

Danny Zane, joint chair of the AIIC explains:

“With this in mind, regulating independent inventories really is a no-brainer for the government. An independent and professionally compiled inventory offers protection to both tenants and landlord and can prove invaluable in the event of a tenancy deposit dispute.”

Irrelevant of whether mandatory independent inventory reporting becomes a legal requirement, there is still an abundance of benefits for landlords, letting agents and tenants. An independent body like No Letting Go can take the hassle and strain out of the process while dramatically cutting down on disputes. Find out more about how we can help your inventory process here.