Of course they can. We don't always recommend it however, especially if as we see, some landlords’ inventories being inadequate in both content and layout.
One has to remember there’s only one reason for an inventory and its sister check-out, and that’s to support any claim made by a landlord against a tenant’s deposit. And as one can imagine, using a cooking metaphor, the poorer the ingredients, the possibility the poorer the meal. Unless the detail is in the inventory the less one has to work with at check-out. As a nationwide team with thousands of inspections annually, we are sometimes required to use a landlord’s inventory at check-out, and despite advising both landlord’s and sometimes their agents of the ‘thin’ nature of these inventories, our findings are often minimal. As you might appreciate, we can only report on that listed and that seen, and as we have previously experienced, some landlords have claimed for something which was neither listed nor adequately evidenced. A recent example demonstrates this when one of our colleagues conducted a check-out using a sparsely populated landlady’s inventory, and despite being advised that by going to arbitration she may lose her claim, she insisted on being compensated for items broken by the tenant that were not adequately described. Her follow-up complaint about her failed claim meant an opportunity to explain why, and the why was as expected; her inventory was in our opinion inadequate. For example she wanted compensation for a broken fridge handle which arbitration denied, the inventory listed ‘Fridge’ only. No handle listed, no description of the fridge, in fact no itemisation of anything including shelves, colour or make. Her response was ‘of course there’s a handle’ to which we asked, ‘was there?’ Other claimed for items were rejected on similar grounds, she said. And although we had no proof as to why, we assumed as with the fridge example, she had insufficient proof for other items being claimed for. As indicated within the recently published tri-deposit-scheme document, independent inventories can carry some validity in their assumed unbiasedness. But it’s not only this. A good inventory clerk will provide detailed documentation, and along with support material such as photographs, they will clearly describe every component and content of a property as well as their condition both at beginning and end of tenancy. This will at least allow adjudication we believe, some ease in decision making. So yes, landlords can provide their own inventories, however they may themselves be good inventory clerks as well as landlords, as by-the-way some of our clerks are.
Inventoryclerk West Midlands is run by Suki Tiwana. If you wish to contact Suki, you can find her contact details on her website and at the end of this blog post. Suki is providing Inventory Services covering South Birmingham, Dudley, Halesowen, Redditch, Bromsgrove, Solihull and Coventry.Inventoryclerk.com has a reputation in the industry for producing extremely high standard detailed Inventories in jargon-free language. Each report is easy to read and all follow the same clear format.Inventoryclerk West MidlandsContact: Suki Tiwana Office: 0845 505 6028 Email: suki.tiwana@inventoryclerk.com
Ever since I started in the inventory business, now on the way to 15 years ago, letting agents have generally charged the landlord for the inventory and charged the tenant for the check-out.
This would have made sense pre-TDS, but since April 2007 I've argued that it should be the tenant paying for this due to the tenant's deposit being protected against the inventory.
It has been when communicating with agents that I get a mixed bag of responses with some confused as to why. However when I say that by charging the other way around they may have a competitive edge on their rivals, they see why.
Of the agents I deal with, most have taken this method on-board and agree this is a much better way of working. It certainly means that when competing with agents with lower fees they can slice off some of the original charge from the up-front amount paid.
Either way it seems sensible to us that a tenant should pay for the inventory and where required the check-in, and the agent pays for the mid-term and the landlord for the check-out.
It appears yes, according to a document produced by all 3 deposit schemes, although not a resounding yes from how we read it.
The joint publication of a "Guide to Deposits, Disputes and Damages" produced last week says that "All three deposit protection providers have signed up to the guidelines in this document, and will continue to operate their dispute resolution services using these principles". The document goes on to talk about what evidence is admissible and quote "Photographic evidence can be used to support, or defend a claim against a deposit", however it says further "Video evidence can also be useful where photographic evidence is unclear or unavailable". This means we think that video is secondary as a form of evidence in comparison to traditional photographic evidence and is to be used only if inadequate photographic evidence is available. For a long while we have looked at and even experimented with a number of ways of documenting the condition and contents of rental properties. Years ago when photographic support material was both cumbersome and expensive, it was rare to supply photographs, but now of course it's easy and very inexpensive and allows us to record an infinite number of pictures to support written evidence. Whatever photographic support material is used, it must be easily useable, and as the document indicates "Only photos that are relevant should be submitted. Ideally, ‘before and after’ photos should be submitted with a clear narrative as to what the photo is showing e.g. colours, item description, marks on surfaces etc". This is difficult, cumbersome and maybe sometimes impossible with video."There is nothing worse for an adjudicator to have to sit through hours of video to get the problem area or to miss the issue entirely", the report says. Whatever method used, we're commited to making it easy for adjudicators to decide on relevance and whether a claim is valid or not. This means we will continue to provide highly detailed written explanations of every component of a property and its contents along with easily identifiable support material, including photographs. Any other method will unlikely meet our standards, for now anyway, although we're always on the lookout for anything which can enhance the service we provide.
I was amused last week on seeing the recent video produced by Shelter and starring Sean Lock. Amused at how crazy it appears that such a landlord – as portrayed here - could exist, but also amused - on showing friends this video – with their disbelief that such properties could be real.
The sad thing is that in my and some of my colleague’s experiences, we do see properties not far off this condition, although not necessarily meeting landlords represented in this way. In the space of less than 1 week, I have completed 3 check-outs on properties that were in my view uninhabitable through damp. All 3 would warrant HHSRS enforcement orders if no remedy actioned. My question is, “how could anyone have lived in such places?” And yet they had, and in one case for more than 2 years. All properties were in blocks of flats and all blocks were of a decent standard, one in particular in a high-class area. So it wasn’t a reflection of area or perceived economic class, these were all decent properties as properties go. What is surprising is no complaint had been made to the agents and therefore landlords unaware of their properties’ condition. Now without pointing fingers at anyone, tenant, landlord or agent, I feel there needs to be better ongoing monitoring of properties, this means good inventories, agreed check-ins, regular interim or mid-term inspections and of course detailed check-outs. But inspections and reports are pointless without action; we hear that some reports sent to landlords still have no action taken, it seems that agents are often ‘hands tied’ without landlord’s authorisation and yet it’s the agent, we hear, who is likely to be perceived as the rogue, not the landlord if tenant’s complaints are not dealt with adequately. We now issue warnings to agents at the rate of 16% of all properties inspected, that such properties are unfit at some level, and yet we are told landlords are reluctant to spend money on rectifying problems. If landlords and agents are to avoid HHSRS enforcement orders as well as the often perceived view that some are rogues, there needs a shift in attitude around what is a tenant’s right to have a ‘fit’ home. If we in the industry can avoid dealing with properties deemed unfit, then hopefully rented housing overall should improve.
Inventoryclerk.comrecognised as TOP 10 Supplier at the prestigiousESTAS - The Estate & Letting Agent Awards 2011
Inventoryclerk.comhave been short-listed as a TOP 10 supplier in the first Supplier of the Year Award at the ESTAS in recognition of their excellent customer service as voted for by their clients during the course of 2010.
The award was announced by Phil Spencer, presenter of Channel 4’s Location, Location. Location property programme at a lavish luncheon & ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane London attended by 500 of the UK’s top estate and letting agents.
Phil Spencer said “The ESTAS are the most important and valuable awards in our industry. An ESTA is not an easy accolade to pick up, to win one requires a lot of hard work, over a very long period of time.”
Simon Brown MD at the ESTAS explains “ESTA agents nominated their favourite suppliers. The TOP 10 suppliers to the industry were then rated by agents from around the country. ESTA agents believe passionately in providing the highest quality customer service. They are prepared to go that extra mile, prepared to take criticism as well as praise and prepared to invest and develop their businesses accordingly. Shortlisted suppliers are no different. We hope the data we provide all supplier firms who have taken part gives some valuable feedback from agents that can help them develop their services accordingly”.
The ESTAS are sponsored by ZOOPLA, the property search website. Nick Leeming, Director said “It is important that we understand what the public think of the service which we provide them with and that is what the ESTAs are all about. ESTA agents have a common desire to know how the public rate their businesses and develop and adapt accordingly. ZOOPLA shares that ethos and that’s why we’re delighted to be the headline sponsor for the ESTAS”.
The national scheme is backed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
David Dalby, Residential Director at RICS, said “This is the sixth year that RICS have been involved with the awards, which we support because the results are based solely on customer satisfaction rather than the opinions of a judging panel. To win an ESTA, a firm has to demonstrate a consistently high level of service and, to achieve this, they must ensure that staff follow those standards of efficiency, good communication and transparency that differentiate the exceptional agent from the ordinary one.”
Other organisations who support the ESTAS include;
HomeLet
John Boyle, Managing Director said “‘I’d like to congratulate the winners and all the businesses that were shortlisted. It’s a real honour for everyone who has been involved with the awards not just because of the fierce competition, but because the awards were judged by customers who’ve experienced their service first hand. I’m delighted that HomeLet have had the opportunity to be associated with the awards, which have once again proven to be a real highlight for the industry.’
Rayner Recruitment Joshua Rayner, Managing Director said “We are delighted and honoured to support the awards. Rayner recruitment shares the same values in that we offer a simple, transparent service which offers excellent value for money to our clients. Our clients strive to recruit the talent needed for their business growth. We aim to provide a both cost efficient way of recruiting as well as a Head Hunting prestige service for key performers.”
Moneypenny
Director, Joanna Swash, explains “Agents who use our service provide outstanding levels of service for their customers, gaining a competitive advantage in the local market place. For this reason, we are delighted to be associated with such a highly-regarded scheme as the ESTAS, and congratulate all the shortlisted and winning agents.”
Thanks to the latest in technology there are now a number of products appearing which promise to make inventory taking easy, even paperless.
We're not sure, not because we're wedded to paper, but because we've not yet found an adequate system to replace a hard copy inventory. However we're working on it.
The problem is - we hear, that many think the latest gadget is best, often with a view that such technology is quicker and more economical. If it was, guaranteed, we'd be using it. We've tried a number of systems from touch screen laptops to android apps and nothing yet is quick or detailed enough for us.
As the largest inventory clerk group in the UK, we get to see all manner of properties, tenancies, inventories and checkouts, more than any other single group we believe. And yet there's nothing to date that beats a highly-detailed document which a tenant can agree to, and with any amendments where needed - no matter what system is used.
The question is - whatever format we use - will our documentation satisfy the adjudication service? That's what counts, if no claim or argument between landlord and tenant, then whatever system used, it won't matter. It really only matters when either party cannot agree to the others argument and an arbiter is required to decide.
So we invite comment, is there something we should be looking at?
That’s a dramatic headline we know and it does not indicate that renting a property statistically carries health warnings. However since the introduction of our HHSRS awareness, we have notched up some interesting numbers.
In March, the first month following our training to recognise anything within a property which may give rise to housing health and safety concerns, we completed a little over 1000 inspections and reports of which 16% included an advisory note relating to at least one element of a property which we classed as a HHSRS violation. This means that the inventory clerk identified at least one hazard within the property which might need attention.
As a word of caution, this does not mean that 16% of properties inspected were dangerous; it did mean however that there was at least one mention of a property’s make-up which could be rated as a category 1 or category 2 hazard, and if a category 1 hazard, then in turn this could mean the need for immediate action.
We are now just over a week into our second month and of 318 inspections the percentage is running at 15%, which is 49 inspections and reports listing again at least one hazard in those properties.
Now most reports will note innocuous concerns, these mainly falling within the category 2 domain, however there are some which carry category 1 hazards and on the odd occasion there are multi-category 1 and 2 hazards.
What’s the point of all of this? In our case it is to advise landlords of potential enforcement orders against them should councils on inspection issue enforcement orders at £300.00 a time.
Our view is that as we are already inspecting properties, and in great detail, we might as well give landlords and their agents the heads-up should we see something of concern. It does not mean that landlords should run out and create repairs or alter properties, unless they feel it’s in theirs and their tenant’s interest.
For further information about this subject please read some of the previous blogs with links to in-depth explanations of the HHSRS.
We were interested today to read 2 articles in the ‘Letting Agent Today’ publication, one on the percentage of failed landlord claims as per the DPS and secondly a piece referring to comments made by Alex Britchfield, a Deputy Independent Case Examiner for TDS.
The first indicates that of the DPS adjudications within a time period since 2007, the large proportion (41.5%) found wholly in favour of the tenant and just 19.1% wholly in favour of the landlord or letting agent, with 39.4% resulting in a split award. On these figures, no wonder many people say that landlords are discriminated against in favour of tenants. The second piece highlighted that all new tenancies should be subject to an up-to-date inventory. “An inventory is a landlords’ opportunity to demonstrate the condition of a property at the start of tenancy. Out of date inventories, or those lacking sufficient detail, lead to difficulties in quantifying any change in condition and therefore the likely success of a future claim” says Alex Britchfield in the article. In both articles it became clear that adjudicators need help in making viable and fair apportionment of tenant’s deposits, and as indicated in past blogs, the less appropriate or inadequate material an adjudicator has at hand, the more likely they will rule in favour of a tenant. In our view, they have little choice. To qualify this we ourselves recently had a classic example where a tenant objected to all 129 dilapidations on a checkout report. The checkout was completed against an inventory with ample evidence of condition and contents within a newly built and newly furnished 2 bedroom flat. The inventory was acknowledged as good by the adjudicator with each item adequately identified with corresponding photographic support. The problem came about with the checkout. The adjudicator awarded an approximate 60/40 split of the deposit in favour of the tenant. The reason in his summary was simple. He said that because there was a 100% tenant objection to all listed dilapidations he was obliged to investigate each one. This meant comparing the checkout item against the inventory item. He firstly said that in favour of the agent the fact that the inventory was produced independently of the client was a plus. He further indicated that as each item was numerically identifiable it made his task easier, another plus. He said that because the photographic support in the inventory was clearly representative he gave another plus. But when it came to the checkout, that’s where it ended. Why you may think. The reason he said was that despite the clear written reference to each change between inventory and checkout, the photos in the checkout were not labelled adequately and therefore he had little choice but to award those 40% worth to the tenant. He meant we believe that we had inadequate labelling of each photo tying it to its referred dilapidation. That pedantic we thought! But if that’s what’s required then that’s what we have to do from now on, we decided. So back to the earlier points. Unless the evidence is clearly representative at both start and end of tenancy and a landlord’s claim is going to adjudication, then our experience demonstrates that the tenant may receive all or part of the disputed claim. It’s not about favouritism or bias it seems, its possibly more about common sense.
As one can see from previous posts we are seemingly a little crusader...ish about our newly-acquired HHSRS skill and the additional service we offer to our clients, and here's the reason.
Unfortunately, and not dissimilar for the need to understand the importance of a good inventory/checkin and checkout report, many landlords - and sometimes their agents - are unfamiliar with a council's duty to take enforcement action against landlords whose properties are deemed to have Category 1 hazards. In-line with our responsibility to both landlord and tenant, we like to create awareness of possible risks to tenants in advance of any possible enforcement orders that councils might impose on landlords. We do this by providing a secondary report to an inventory/checkin and checkout advising landlords and agents of concerns we may have regarding such risks. The report does not form part of the inventory/checkin or checkout and is provided as an advisory note only. But what are these risks and do we see them very often? Well, yes we do see them - and often, and at first glance, even though some appear innocuous, further examination shows that a landlord could be caught out if a council was to probe into a properties condition. It is our understanding that if a tenant should complain to a council about their property, that councils on inspection could find more risks than were 1st complained about resulting in multi-enforcement orders to the surpise of the landlord. To help landlords understand more we have found a council website with pages explaining in a very coherent way the subject of the HHSRS. Please see the following link: http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/info/200040/environmental_health/881/housing_... If you would like to know more about the HHSRS service we offer, please call 0845 6123 727.
The ESTAS have revealed the first shortlist for the Supplier of the Year Award as voted for by estate and letting agents around the country.
This completely new award category and aims to find out which suppliers are providing the best customer service to their client base. As Simon Brown MD at the ESTAS explains “ESTA agents nominated their favourite suppliers. From an original list of over 100 different firms we now have a shortlist of the TOP 10 suppliers based on customer service ratings from agents. The bronze, silver and gold winners will be announced by Phil Spencer on the 15th April at the 8th annual ESTAS ceremony. We hope the data we provide all supplier firms who taken part provides some valuable feedback from agents that can help them develop their services accordingly ”. "We at Inventoryclerk.com take our levels of customer service very seriously because we know clients have a choice. We have always been very proud of the personal service we provide so this is great way to demonstrate how good we really are.” The full Top 10 Shortlist for the ESTA Supplier of the Year in alphabetical order is; - HomeLet - Inventoryclerk.com - Jupix - Key Agent - Metropix - Moneypenny - Mortgage Advice Bureau - My Home Move - Ravensworth - The Property Jungle The Estate & Letting Agent Awards, known throughout the industry as the ESTAS, are the largest and longest running award scheme in the residential agency market. The competition determines the best agents in the country through research carried out amongst customers who are asked a series of questions about the service they have received from their agent. Over 26,000 questionnaires were completed by sellers, buyers and landlords during 2010. The ESTAS sponsored are by Zoopla in association with HomeLet, Rayner Recruitment, Moneypenny, Estate Agent Today & RICS. Tickets are on sale now at www.theestas.com/table-booking/ Agents can sign up now for the 2012 at www.2012.theestas.com/agent-sign-up/
We're asked this question daily, often by people who assume an inventoryclerk's work is an easy route to making money.
Frequently we speak to people who are ' fed up' of working for others. Sometimes we hear from those who want a part time income, a hobby... and more.
If you or anyone you know wants to be an inventory supplier, these are not thoughts you'd have if you wanted to be successful. We're convinced of this, we've been around along time and we're daily refining our service, not only in the documents we supply but also in the value and customer support we give.
Price is important, yes we know this, but no it's not just price its more about providing a product that's beyond a client's expectations. This is nothing to do with inventories exclusively, it's general business sense. Yet many people we hear from, sometimes several a day, miss this point.
So, what's the cost?
To be successful, probably alot of time, probably alot of money, and certainly alot of commitment to being the best as well as alot of enthusiasm and alot of positive expectations.
So you or someone you know wants to become an inventoryclerk!
Well we're looking for people who want to join our organisation in numerous locations throughout the UK. It's not alot of money, however commitment and time is what we need, the rest we supply, including the customers.
The answer is both simple but yet contentious. The reason is that most inventory suppliers, whether in-house or independent believe they all have the best method.
At the end of the day there is no statutory system and most inventory providers are left to figure out what’s best. However in our view it’s not about what’s best but about what works. We at inventoryclerk.com look for what works which means supporting a potential adjudicator in making a valid decision regarding any claim, and that means evidence which is both detailed yet simple to follow and understand. Remember, the reason for an inventory is to support a tenant’s deposit and to ensure there’s record of a landlord’s property. And the reason for a checkout is to support a landlord’s claim or confirm the right of a tenant to receive their deposit. Both have to relate to each other in a way that allows one to easily differentiate between how a property was at start of tenancy and how it is at end. A little like a recipe, the checkout (the end product) can only be as good as the inventory (the ingredients). A poor quality inventory will allow for lesser quality checkout. So back to the question. Well an inventory in our view needs to be detailed; it must contain every element or component of the property and its contents - right down to a power socket and the screws within it as well as identifying its colour, location and condition. Yes… that detailed. Furniture for example must be described as to what it is – maybe its make, its colour, the material and finally its condition, without such a description a checkout cannot easily be used to determine differences between start and end of tenancy. It is differences which determine the validity of a claim. Inventories must be well-laid out, in plain English, preferably item numbered and photos included, and finally the inventory must be agreed by the tenant as being a fair representation of the property and its contents. Make an adjudicator's job easy; give them more rather than less.
Recently we produced a leaflet which was sent to a number of agents within areas of the UK where we have colleagues representing our work.
Since posting this we have been asked by others for the same leaflet, therefore we are posting this on the web so that anyone interested in the additional expertise we offer can read more about the HHSRS awareness campaign. Please follow the link below and from this you can print a copy of this leaflet.http://db.tt/TTzAClH
As we at inventoryclerk.com expand throughout the UK and become known as the Premier Inventory Service for Letting Agents and Landlords, the number of enquiries we receive increases from areas where we currently have no presence.
This necessitates finding and supporting new partners who we train and supply work to.The latest area requiring our service is East Sussex and Eastbourne where we have clients waiting 'in the wings' ready to serve. Interested parties please call 0845 6123 727 or use our online enquiry form at www.inventoryclerk.com
Since the introduction of housing health and rating training for inventoryclerks (www.hhsrs.org), the initial feedback from some letting agents has been very positive.
So far, of those to who we supply our service, the comments made are very encouraging with property managers telling us the additional knowledge is invaluable.
We considered that by increasing awareness of potential hazards within rented properties we can help in averting some complaints to councils from tenants whose homes they say are less than 'fit'.
Inventoryclerk.com appears the only organisation offering this added benefit to their clients, and since creating initial exposure to the industry of the need to be HHSRS aware, we have gained new business from agents whose reason for switching to our service is they say, because of the added professionalism we bring to the industry.
Inventory clerks within the inventoryclerk.com have recently been trained in HHSRS awareness
As money strapped councils look for ways to increase income, they can revert to their existing right to place enforcement orders on landlords whose properties do not meet current health and safety criteria. To counter this, inventoryclerk.com people have now been comprehensively tutored by a government HHSRS trainer to raise awareness of potential problems within rented properties. This free add-on service to the inventory allows a clerk to supply a secondary report highlighting potential risks a tenant might face within their property. Inventoryclerk.com already has a sophisticated online booking and document delivery system, however an additional facility has been added whereby clerks - at the push of a button - call up a template allowing them to enter information relating to concerns they may have about a property. On submission the system sends a seperate report to advise a landlord of possible risks to tenants with a view to landlords avoiding unnecessary enforcement orders at £300.00 per order.
