What services do we provide?

INVENTORY

This is essential protection for every tenancy.

With the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Protection regulations (TDS) it has become impossible to safely recover costs for damages/loss without independently sourced documentation to verify your property's original condition.

A fully detailed independently prepared inventory is of crucial importance. It has to be an accurate, concise and easily-read record of your property's condition and contents which can be prepared anew and/or updated with each subsequent tenancy.

When produced by an independent 3rd party, the inventory (and schedule of condition) reports form a legally binding document and as such prove invaluable in recovering costs should the property or its contents suffer more than fair wear and tear.

An inventory provided by citi inventories is a highly detailed document with a full photographic record embedded in the report.

 An inventory originally created by citi inventories is automatically updated each time a check in takes place by citi inventories. This is included in our check in fee.

CHECK-IN

The next step is to have a CHECK-IN carried out by an independent 3rd party.

Why bother with the expense? Because it ensures continuity of the unbiased assessment of the property, its condition and that of its furnishing and contents.

The tenant is given the opportunity to inspect the property and any key issues are highlighted.

Aspects such as a summary of the condition of the property, meter readings and keys are recorded and highlighted on the Schedule of Conditions which is signed by the tenant.

Crucially, it is then practically impossible for the tenant to claim at a later date that the report was not a true reflection of the property, its condition and/or contents!

CHECK-OUT

The check out report is the most important part of the tenancy. It is where comparisons are made against the original inventory / check in report (and interim reports depending on the length of the tenancy) and the outcome will help the landlord or agent decide as to what deductions (if any) are to be made by the tenant for any damages or deterioration in the condition of the property.

It will also help to identify and define acceptable wear and tear issues or damage that may have been caused by the tenant. An impartial inventory, check-in and check out report will help to resolve potential disputes between the landlord and tenant.

It is worth noting that most disputes pertaining to damages/excessive wear and tear, missing/broken items occur when the assessment (or indeed the original inventory) has been made by the landlord. Subsequently, the amount of damages received from the tenant is far smaller (assuming you get anything at all) as your opinion is generally considered to be biased - even if the observations made by you would have been shared by a professional/impartial 3rd party!

In the last few years more and more tenants take the initiative to arrange Inventory, Check-In or Check-Out reports in order to ensure their deposits are protected. Tenants want to make sure any damage that was there at the start of the tenancy is properly recorded so it won't lead to deductions from their deposit at the end of the tenancy.

INTERIM INSPECTIONS

We perform periodic interim inspections for managed properties, ensuring that landlords and managing agents are aware immediately of any potential problems

A property inspection is not a full check out of a property. We have to be sensitive to the fact that tenants are living in the property, so will not move or lift their personal possessions. We don’t comment too much on the level of cleanliness or tidiness, unless there is a potential health and safety hazard which may cause damage to the building or neighbouring properties.

We will look for areas that could be a cause for concern, such as mould, mildew, leaks, insect/ pest infestation, overcrowding, pets being kept, or smoking in the property. We will also ask tenants if they are aware of any maintenance issues that may not be immediately obvious, such as heating not working, the washing machine being tempremental etc.

We will check that lights are working and flag up any problems. We may also give advice to tenants on how they can remedy certain things before they become a bigger issue; for example replacing bulbs, keeping a distance between walls and furniture to prevent mildew, ventilating a property etc.