iSurvey inventory software saves valuable time and resources

iSurvey inventory software saves valuable time and resources when performing property inspections for property managers everywhere. iSurvey inventory software makes it possible to send quality, professional property inspection reports using only your smart phone. iSurvey inventory software’s easy, user-friendly, one touch interface lets the user rate the current condition of each element of a property. In addition, users can also take multiple photos and insert comments wherever required. After the report is completed, it is either saved to the smart phone to be sent later or emailed directly as a PDF complete with your company logo and an attachment with the associated photos. ISurvey inventory software even appropriately names all of the photos by the element of the property. Want custom fields? A carport instead of a garage? No problem – all the fields are fully customisable. iSurvey inventory software marks the end of property managers juggling clipboards, pens, and a digital camera, doing the actual inspection and then the tedious task of writing up the report on the premises then again back at the office, transferring pictures to a computer and naming the files appropriately, inserting the company logo, making the .pdf and submitting to the client. Now, when the property manager leaves the property, the task is complete; the generated reports email directly to the client, or back to the office. Ask us for a free trial; it lets users experience all the functionality and convenience of iSurvey inventory software and allows real time reports to be generated. We know this will save you time every day.

PREPARING AN INVENTORY

What is an inventory?
The inventory is a catalogue of the property and its’ contents.  A schedule of condition is a record of condition.  Most commonly the two are combined into one report and are called either the inventory or schedule of condition. 

The inventory/schedule of condition has several functions:

• it is a catalogue of the property being let
• it records the condition of the property and any items that are included in the tenancy
• it forms part of the legally binding contract that is set out in the tenancy agreement between the tenant and the landlord.

Why it’s important to prepare an inventory/ schedule of condition?
For years when it comes to inventories, landlords have got away with scribbling a few notes on a bit of paper about the condition of their property.  The general principle being that an accurate inventory were not needed.  This was because as a landlord you were both ‘judge and jury’ and if and what part of the deposit was withheld to cover the costs of repair and cleaning.  This is not to say that tenants had no remedies if they felt aggrieved with the decision.  Under the pre April 6 2007 system they were able to take the landlord to court if they thought that they were unreasonably withholding their deposit.  The judge would then decide on the merits of their claim.  However, the ‘hassle’ and inconvenience to the tenant of carrying this through meant that in most cases tenants do not take matters any further, especially where the sums involved were small.

How to prepare an inventory
The most essential thing about preparing an inventory is to adopt a system that is simple so that it is easily remembered and replicated.  This will ensure that the landlord achieves consistent results.  In developing your system ensure that the inventory it produces is:
 

• Ordered – this way when preparing it a landlord is less likely to miss things and also that anyone reading it can easily follow the contents.
• Comprehensive – remember this will be the inventory is a document of reference should a dispute a rise and could potentially end up in front of the judge
• Verifiable – its accuracy can be agreed by anyone with few or nil additions or alterations.
• Written in OBJECTIVE Plain English – so it is easy to read and understand.  This will help the landlord should the case go to court when a clearly written unambiguous report will have more credibility than one where a tenant could claim that they were unsure what they were signing.  This shouldn’t be a defence but judges are only human.

The best way of producing inventories that achieve the key points given above is to use iSurvey Property Inventory software.  This will assist you in gathering the data on the PDA required to automatically create a ‘Check In’ and ‘Check Out’ report, recording an inventory of the contents and the condition of the fabric of the Building. The system uses the PDA’s on-board camera to gather photographic evidence, supplemented with pre-formatted text options.divide any property into a series of rooms.  The standard component parts used in the iSurvey inventory software are as follows:

• Doors
• Floor
• Walls
• Ceiling
• Light fittings
• Wood work
• Appliances
• Windows
• Heating
• Electricals
• Furnishings

As well as the standard component parts each room may have individual parts specific to that room; these must also be noted down.  Once all these parts have been recorded, the next stage is to record items that are not fixtures or fittings.  This is particularly important and time consuming where a property is furnished.  In this case it will be necessary to note down every item supplied.  Once this is done; you will have a complete inventory. 

The next stage is to complete what is known as the schedule of condition.  This can be carried out concurrently with the inventory.  The object of the process is to note down the condition of each component part. 

For example, in the case of the lounge under the component part of doors you would record the fact that there are two doors, newly white painted with chrome handles.  This part of the process is particularly important because as I go on to discuss later it is disputes over the condition of items and what is ‘fair wear and tear’ that are the most common.  This aspect is far more difficult to prove than the removal of an item and it is fair to say that judges will often side with the tenant unless the landlord can prove conclusively that it was new or in good condition.  This highlights the importance of retaining receipts not only for tax purposes but also in case of a disagreement with your tenant resulting in arbitration or court action where you will then have to prove the condition of your property at ‘handover’.

Many inventory clerks use a series of abbreviations to speed up the process.  This isnt necessarily best practice as the report user would need to be familiar with the references and this can be time consuming. providing that a full list of terms accompanying the inventory. 

The important things for a landlord to ensure are:

• That there is an adequate description of each item so that they can be verified
• That an accurate statement of condition accompanies each component item

A landlord should avoid at all costs ambiguous language such as ‘spotlessly clean’ or emotive language so as ‘lovely fireplace’.  Keep descriptions brief and factual.

If a landlord follows these guidelines then they should end up with a comprehensive written inventory and schedule of condition that will then cover you for all eventualities.

An updated inventory must be issued at the commencement of every new tenancy. A new tenancy includes renewal of a tenancy. The true test of an inventory is when the Tenant denies causing damage. Your inventory will be used as evidence in deciding who is liable for the damage. iSurvey Property Inventory Software enables you to compile a complete rental inventory that provides proof of the condition of a property at the start of a tenancy. (Click here to for information about iSurvey software that you can use to compile your inventory)

The Tenant knows if they put a cigarette burn on the carpet but they can claim it was there when they moved in if there is no inventory and condition report. In such disputes, the law and the tenancy deposit dispute service requires the burden of proof on the claimant – i.e. the landlord or their Agent. 91% of dispute cases settled by mydeposits.co.uk adjudication service found in favour of the Tenant where there was no inventory or worse still, an inventory report that was not professionally prepared.. The average amount in dispute was £733, which is significantly lower than the average deposit of £1,052.

The deposit dispute service permits photographic evidence that is supported by a well documented report; the photographic which must be date stamped. Having the Tenant sign the inventory and checkin report as a declaration of the property condition when they move in will also assists your case. The checkout provides a detailed definition of condition when they move out from the property.

If you want to improve your chances of deducting monies for damage from a deposit, our inventory software and template will assist you in this process.

At the end of the Tenancy, if you have to make any deductions you are not entitled to claim ‘New for Old’. You must allow for depreciation of the item over the anticipated lifecycle.

We will be blogging about dilapidations and depreciation in a week or so, so watch this space!

Compiling an inventory report

There are a number of options in today’s marketplace for compiling inventory reports.  Some inventory clerk’s prefer to use a dictaphones and have the reports typed up later and there are a number of computer software applications that run on smart phones (sometimes called pda’s).  There appears to be fewer inventory clerks opting to use Dictaphones these days with a strong preference towards smart phone technology.  Both options have pros and cons.

Using the traditional Dictaphone method:

The pros:

• The technology is lightweight.
• Inventories are dictated on a Dictaphone and the tape or file is sent for typing; often being outsourced to countries such as Indian and Australia and the reports are ready the next day.
• If geared correctly the Dictaphone approach can minimise your time in the property but overall turnaround times are longer to the pda software because of the typing element.

 The cons:

•  No integrated photographs can be attached.
• Editing reports are a hassle.
• Consistent formatting can be an issue.
• No continuity between reports by comparison to systems that use databases that can retrieve information from previous reports etc.

 Using smart phone technology:

• A mobile office; has a rich user interface with MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc
• Ability to send and receive emails
• Many devices have touch screen technology
• GRPS dongles technology allows the user to have a mobile office

Based on user experience feedback, iSurvey offers is the most comprehensive inventory clerk software currently on the market. 

iSurvey Inventory software gathers the data on the PDA required to automatically create an inventory,  report, recording the schedule of condition of the property and its contents. The business software system uses the PDA’s on-board camera to gather photographic evidence, supplemented with pre-formatted text options. A floorplan is also created on the PDA which orientates the rooms descriptions in the inventory report. Once the assessment has been completed on the PDA, it is transmitted to iSurvey via your broadband or wifi account. The iSurvey Inventory report generates automatically and is published on-line to iSurvey’s Inventory Portal, where further amendments can be made by the Inventory Clerk.

System Backup:

Data is stored on UK based servers; however there is an option to store data on your local storage as a backup precaution.

All this makes completing inventory clerk jobs easier for Inventory Clerks and DEAs using the iSurvey inventory clerk software. 

For further information and a free trial, contact training@isurvey-inventory.co.uk or call 0845 003 0003.

Property Inventory Software developed by iSurvey

This Property Inventory Software enables you to compile a complete rental inventory that provides proof of the condition of a property at the start of a tenancy.

The Property Inventory Software is also available as a “pda download” or a web based kit and includes a property inventory template plus expert guidance on how to fill in a property inventory properly.

Under the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, owners wanting to claim money from their tenants’ deposits now have to prove that damage has been caused. This means every tenancy agreement should now be accompanied by a property inventory form.

So if you’re a landlord or a letting agent and you don’t keep an accurate rental inventory for your property, you’ll find it difficult to justify deductions to a tenant’s deposit at the end of the tenancy agreement.

What this Property Inventory Software provides:

• Guidance on what needs to be included in the rental inventory based on the RICS best practice;
• How to carry out a ‘check-in’ and ‘check-out’ for your property inventory;
• A property inventory template document on which to base your property inventory;
• A completed example of the property inventory form.

iSurvey enables you to complete more jobs in a day and therefore increases you revenues.  iSurvey benefits to the user include:

• Complete a property inventory report without further typing;
• Customise property templates; so that the user can generate a property inventory report even before they have stepped into a property;
• Create instant reports in a secure PDF format;
• Email reports instantly with wireless 3G technology;
• The tenant can sign reports on-site as soon as a Check in is completed;
• Photo integration – use a digital camera to seamlessly integrate images to your reports;
• A huge built-in database packed with professional terminology and descriptions allows users to complete reports faster, more concisely and more proficiently;
• Produce custom report templates and branding.

For further information and a free trial – contact on 0845 003 0003 or training@isurvey-inventory.co.uk