Trade body renews call for agents to back mandatory rental inventories

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks has renewed its call for letting agents and other property professionals to back an online petition urging MPs to make inventories mandatory on properties to let. 

The petition has been filed on the official parliamentary website by Danny Zane, joint chair of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, which is campaigning for greater regulation on the issue. 

The petition cites a survey by interiors firm Hillarys which suggests that of 2,500 tenants questioned, one third admitted having their deposit withheld and 68 per cent believed their landlord didn’t provide good enough reason for doing so. 

It also quotes a claim by personal finance website Money that 40 per cent of students lose well over a third of their deposit when they rent privately, while 79 per cent do not sign a photo inventory when they move in.

"It's clear the government is keen to increase regulation and professionalism in the letting sector and we see no reason why mandatory inventory reporting should not be a part of this movement," says Zane.

"Compulsory tenancy deposit protection was introduced in 2007. However, there has never been any additional legislation concerning the documentary evidence required to enable adjudicators to adequately arbitrate on disputes.

"With this in mind, regulating independent inventories really is a no-brainer for the government. An independent and professionally compiled inventory offers protection to both tenants and landlords and can prove invaluable in the event of a tenancy deposit dispute," he says.

The petition is available online for another six weeks.