Originally published by Tessa Shepperson, Landlord Law

Inventories are absolutely crucial today, and we are told that landlords will have virtually no chance of success at tenancy deposit adjudications without one.

However an inventory should not just be a list of furniture and other contents – it should give details of their condition, the condition of the property itself such as walls and windows, and should also provide information about meters, and certificates.

I have recently learned of a new phone app which may make creating this a lot easier, produced by a company called imfuma. This allows you to create an inventory report using your phone (iPhone or android), where you dictate into your phone and also take photos which are incorporated into a report. The report is then transcribed and is available for use online.

I have to say that this looks pretty good to me (although I have not used it and have only seen the information provided by the company and the video on their website).

It will of course be useful for landlords and agents. However it would also be useful for tenants to keep a record of the property before moving out, if their landlord refuses to arrange a checkout meeting and they are concerned about unjustified deductions from their deposit.