A complete guide for London landlords and letting agents — everything you need to know about property inventories, landlord inventory services, check-in reports and check-out reports, and why they matter more than ever under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
InventoryFlex is London's AIIC Best Newcomer Award 2024 & 2025 winner. Our AIIC-accredited clerks have completed 15,000+ property inventory inspections across London since 2018. This guide draws on that experience to help landlords and letting agents understand exactly what property inventories, check-in reports and check-out reports involve — and why getting them right is essential.
A property inventory is a comprehensive written and photographic document that records the exact condition of a rental property and its contents at a specific point in time.For London landlords, a professionally compiled property inventory is one ofthe most important documents you will ever have for your rental property.
A complete property inventory covers:
• Every room — walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors and built-in storage
• All fixtures and fittings —light switches, sockets, radiators, bathroom fittings
• Furniture and appliances —with individual condition notes for each item
• Cleanliness — documented room by room with specific notes on any areas of concern
• Photographic evidence —hundreds of timestamped photographs supporting every written entry
• Meter readings — gas, electricity and water recorded at the time of inspection
A property inventory produced by an AIIC-accredited clerk like InventoryFlex provides legally defensible, independent documentation of the property's condition. This protects both the landlord and the tenant — and is the foundation of every successful deposit claim.
InventoryFlex tip: A property inventory should always be produced by an independent, AIIC-accredited clerk — not by the landlord or letting agent. Independent reports carry significantly more weight at TDS, DPS and MyDeposits adjudications.
London's rental market moves fastand deposit values are high. A 2-bedroom flat in Zone 2 typically carries adeposit of £3,000–£5,000. Without a professional property inventory, a landlord has almost no chance of a successful deposit deduction claim.
Here is what can go wrong with out a property inventory:
• No independent evidence of the property's starting condition — making any deduction claim impossible tosubstantiate
• TDS, DPS and MyDeposits adjudicators will almost always rule in the tenant's favour without an independent inventory
• Disputes can drag on for months, delaying deposit return and creating cost and stress for all parties
• Courts treat the absence of a professional inventory as evidence against the landlord in any property damage claim
Under the Renters' Rights Act2025, the importance of accurate property documentation has increased further.Stronger tenant protections mean that any deduction from a deposit must be clearly evidenced — and a professional property inventory from an AIIC-accredited clerk is the strongest possible evidence.
An inventory check-in report combines a full property inventory with a professional tenant handover on the same visit. It is the most popular service offered by InventoryFlex and is the recommended option for the start of any new tenancy in London.
At the start of a new tenancy, a landlord inventory check-in involves:
• A complete room-by-room written and photographic record of the property's condition — the full inventory
• Meeting the new tenant at the property on move-in day
• Going through the inventory with the tenant so both parties agree the starting condition
• Testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors — recorded in the report
• Recording meter readings —gas, electricity and water
• Documenting all keys provided to the tenant
• Obtaining the tenant's signature on the completed report
The completed landlord inventory check-in report is emailed to the landlord, letting agent and tenant simultaneously within 24 hours. All parties have 7 days to raise any queries before the report is finalised.
InventoryFlex inventory check-in reports start from £120 for a studio, rising to £170 for a 5-bedroom property. All prices exclude VAT. Same-week appointments available across all London boroughs.
Does the tenant need to be present for the check-in?
It is strongly recommended that the tenant attends the inventory check-in. Being present allows the tenant to raise any concerns about the property's condition on the day — and avoids disputes later about items that were not noticed until after move-in.
InventoryFlex can conduct the inventory check-in without the tenant present if required. In this case, the tenant has 7 days from receipt of the completed report to raise any queries in writing.
Does the inventory report need to be signed?
Signing the inventory report is not a legal requirement but is strongly recommended. A signed inventory check-in report from both parties confirms that the documented condition was agreed at the start of tenancy. This is significantly more difficult to challenge in a deposit dispute.
InventoryFlex reports include a digital signing facility — tenants can sign the report on any device within the 7-day review period.
An inventory check-out report is a detailed end-of-tenancy inspection that compares the property's current condition against the original inventory check-in report. It is the document that determines whether any deposit deductions are justified.
A professional inventory check-out report from InventoryFlex includes:
• A room-by-room comparison against the original inventory check-in report
• Photographic evidence of any changes, damage or cleaning issues
• Fair wear and tear assessment — clearly distinguishing between acceptable deterioration and chargeable damage
• Specific recommendations for deposit deductions with photographic evidence
• Meter readings recorded at the end of tenancy
• Key return documented
The inventory check-out report should be carried out as close as possible to the tenant's final day in the property — ideally on the same day they vacate with all their belongings.
InventoryFlex inventory check-out reports start from £100 for a studio, rising to £150 for a 5-bedroom property. All reports delivered within 24 hours. Accepted by TDS, DPS and MyDeposits.
Who pays for the inventory check-out?
In London, the landlord or letting agent typically arranges and pays for the inventory check-out. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords cannot charge tenants directly for inventory costs.The check-out report protects the landlord's ability to make fair deposit deductions — so it is firmly in the landlord's interest to commission a professional report.
What happens if there was no property inventory at the start?
Without a professional inventory check-in report, the inventory check-out becomes very difficult to use as evidence. Without a documented starting condition, there is no baseline to compare against — and TDS, DPS and MyDeposits adjudicators will typically rule in the tenant's favour in any dispute.
If a landlord does not have a check-in inventory, InventoryFlex can conduct a Schedule of Condition report —documenting the current state of the property as a reference point. However, this is a far weaker document than a properly compiled inventory and check-in from the start of tenancy.
A landlord inventory service covers the full range of independent property inspection and documentation services that protect landlords throughout the tenancy lifecycle:
• Inventory report —standalone condition record before a tenancy begins
• Inventory check-in report —full inventory combined with tenant handover at the start of tenancy
• Mid-term inspection —interim check during the tenancy to identify maintenance issues early
• Inventory check-out report— end-of-tenancy comparison against the original inventory
InventoryFlex provides all four services across every London borough, with same-week availability and 24-hour report delivery. All services are carried out by AIIC-accredited clerks to the highest recognised industry standards.
The Association of IndependentInventory Clerks (AIIC) is the UK's leading professional body for inventory clerks. AIIC-accredited clerks are trained to produce reports that meet the evidential standards required by TDS, DPS, MyDeposits and the courts.
InventoryFlex is London's AIIC Best Newcomer Award 2024 & 2025 winner — the only London inventory company to win the award in back-to-back years. Every InventoryFlex inspection is carried out by a fully AIIC-accredited clerk with professional indemnity insurance.
Why AIIC accreditation matters for your property inventory:
• AIIC-accredited reports are accepted by all major UK deposit protection schemes
• Reports meet the evidential standards required in deposit dispute adjudications
• Clerks are trained to make fair wear and tear assessments — the most common area of dispute
• Reports follow a consistent, structured format that adjudicators recognise and trust
• Professional indemnity insurance protects all parties if a report is challenged
All InventoryFlex reports are completed by AIIC-accredited clerks and are accepted by TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme), DPS (Deposit Protection Service) and MyDeposits — the three major UK deposit protection schemes.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 significantly strengthens tenant rights across England. For London landlords, the practical implication is clear: deposit deductions will be more difficult to sustain without robust, independent documentary evidence.
Key implications for property inventories under the Act:
• Deposit deductions must be clearly evidenced — a professional inventory check-in and check-out is the strongest possible evidence
• Tenants have enhanced rights to challenge unfair deductions — without an independent inventory, landlords are unlikely to succeed
• Fair wear and tear assessments must be professionally compiled — the Act increases scrutiny of any landlord-compiled documentation
• Dispute resolution timescales are tightening — having a complete, professional inventory package speeds up resolution significantly
InventoryFlex's dedicated Renters' Rights Act guide covers everything London landlords and letting agents need to know: inventoryflex.co.uk/renters-rights-act-property-inventory
Booking a property inventory, inventory check-in or inventory check-out with InventoryFlex takes under 2minutes online:
1. Go to inventoryflex.co.uk and click 'Get Estimate'
2. Enter your property address, number of bedrooms and preferred date
3. Select your service —inventory report, check-in, check-out or mid-term inspection
4. Confirm your appointment —same-week availability across all London boroughs
5. Receive your completed report by email within 24 hours of the inspection
For full pricing on all London property inventory services visit our pricing page.
Ready to book a property inventory in London? Book online in under 2 minutes at InventoryFlex
