Why a property inventory is essential — adjudication burden of proof
A property inventory is not legally required in England but is practically indispensable. Deposit protection scheme adjudicators (DPS, MyDeposits, TDS) apply the burden of proof to the landlord: the landlord must prove on the balance of probabilities that alleged damage or deterioration is attributable to the tenant and is not ordinary fair wear and tear. Without a check-in inventory establishing the pre-tenancy condition, this burden cannot be discharged.
- No inventory = no deposit deductions in practice: without a baseline, adjudicators cannot assess what deterioration the tenant caused
- Benefit of the doubt goes to the tenant: where evidence is absent or inconclusive, the adjudicator finds in the tenant's favour
- Courts apply the same principle: a county court claim for property damage without an inventory faces the same evidential gap
- Professional bodies (ARLA Propertymark, NRLA, RICS) all recommend professionally prepared independent inventories
A written description of 'good condition' walls provides almost no adjudication value without photographs to back it up. An adjudicator looking at a disputed redecoration claim needs photographs of every wall at check-in and check-out. The more photographs, the stronger the evidence. Aim for at least 300 timestamped, labelled photographs for a 2-bedroom property.
Independent inventory clerks — AIIC and digital platforms
Landlords can prepare inventories themselves but independent inventories carry substantially more weight in adjudication.
- AIIC (Association of Independent Inventory Clerks): primary accreditation body; members are trained, insured, follow a published code of conduct; AIIC inventories recognised by DPS/TDS/MyDeposits as independent evidence
- NAVA Propertymark: equivalent accreditation for inventory professionals
- Cost: £80-£120 per check-in report, £80-£120 per check-out report — fraction of a disputed deposit deduction
- Digital platforms: Inventory Hive, NoLetGo, InventoryBase allow digital inventories with embedded timestamped photographs, PDF export, and tenant e-signature
- Mid-tenancy update: for tenancies over 12 months, conduct a mid-tenancy inspection and update the inventory — provides a more recent baseline for check-out comparison