UK Landlord Forum / Life

I have a 2 bedroom student property and handed both sets of keys over to one student tenant on July 15th as the other tenant is away until August. I left the inventory list with the tenant which clearly states that it had to be returned within 7 days. It wasn't so I presumed that the tenants deemed it as accurate. The tenants aren't happy but I have been very fair after chasing it up.

I have now returned the inventory list to them with my signature and a note next to where they would have signed stating that it was presumed to have been accurate by the tenants.


What happens if I need to make a deposit deduction at the end of tenancy as I now don't have a signed document?

You can still try to make a deposit deduction but you may well find the tenants dispute it, which will create some quite needless and avoidable stress.

I would suggest that the next time you're round the flat carrying out a property inspection visit, have a cup of tea with your tenants and engage them in civil conversation until their hackles are down.  Ask them about any issues they're experiencing with the property and listen carefully to the answers; resolve anything you need to.  Then at the end of the conversation, explain that you'd like to return their deposit in full as promptly as possible after the tenancy and it's in their best interests to have a mutually agreed inventory where any defects have been marked.  Produce a copy of the inventory again and you may well find they sign it.

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