For a long time, fair wear and tear has been a grey area for landlords and letting agents alike, and because it tends to vary from case to case, it is among the least understood areas of the letting process, and one which can create much ambiguity and cause a high level of disputes at the end of a tenancy. 

However, clear property damage and poor cleanliness or anything that is different from the property’s original state, is far easier to identify if there is an inventory management report and schedule of condition in place, enabling the landlord to use the tenant’s deposit to compensate, and that is why No Letting Go is supporting the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) petition demanding mandatory independent inventories for all private residential tenancies.

No Letting Go, a major provider of inventory and compliance services to the letting industry, also wants to see compulsory inventories combined with compliance reporting.

According to No Letting Go CEO, Nick Lyons, a detailed and precise inventory completed at the start of the tenancy, and again when the tenancy ends, also acts as one of the most crucial documents in evidencing the landlord’s obligations under the existing fire safety legislation.

The national inventory provider wants the government to go further in also requiring the report to evidence compliance with the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations 2015 and the fire and furnishing safety regulations, 1988. The company believes this will greatly improve standards, will support the industryand help government manage the ever-growing safety requirements of landlords.

Lyons said: “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.” 

You can view and sign the AIIC’s petition by clicking here.