An inventory clerk records the condition of a rented property at fixed points in a tenancy, so that at the end there is an evidenced account of what changed. That is the whole job, and the value of it is almost entirely in being independent of both sides.
The short version
Four visits: inventory before the let, check-in on day one, mid-term inspections during, check-out at the end. Each produces a dated, photographed document. The clerk describes; they do not decide who pays.
The four visits
- Inventory and schedule of condition — the property walked empty, room by room, every item listed, graded and photographed. The baseline everything later compares to.
- Check-in — the tenant walked through the document on day one, keys counted, meters read, alarms tested, and the tenant signs onto it.
- Mid-term inspection — a short visit every three to six months recording condition and anything needing attention.
- Check-out — the same rows walked again at the end, changes appended, fair wear and tear separated from damage.
Why independence matters more than the clipboard
A landlord can write their own inventory and it is admissible evidence. It is simply weaker evidence, because it was written by the party who stands to gain from it. A deposit adjudicator weighs an independent record that the tenant signed considerably more heavily. You are not paying for someone to walk round a house; you are paying for the document to be credible when it matters.
What an inventory clerk is not
- Not a surveyor. No structural opinion, no valuation, no advice on defects.
- Not a damp specialist. A clerk records that mould is present; diagnosing the cause is a separate instrumented visit.
- Not an adjudicator. The report says what changed and whether it appears beyond fair wear and tear. It does not price it or apportion blame.
- Not a cleaner or a contractor, which is precisely why the record can be trusted.
Who pays
The landlord or the agent. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the cost of an inventory, check-in or check-out cannot be charged to a tenant or taken from the deposit, and doing so is itself a prohibited payment.
See the sample report for what the output looks like, and what a check-in inventory must include for the standard.
Written by The Surveyor Co, a trading name of LW Renovation Group Ltd, Lincoln. This guide describes how records are written and read; it is not legal advice. Where a deposit scheme, lease or insurer sets a rule, that rule wins.