The Inventory
The Inventory and Schedule of Condition
Before the lease begins we prepare a detailed inventory and schedule of condition recording the state of the property room by room. This is the reference point for everything that follows, and it is the document that determines who pays for what when the property comes back.
A thin inventory is the single most common reason landlords lose money at the end of an institutional let. If the starting condition is not properly documented, there is nothing to measure the ending condition against, and any argument about damage becomes one person’s recollection against another’s. We do not let that happen.
What it records
You receive a copy before the lease starts and you can comment on it or ask for anything to be added before it is agreed. Once both parties have signed it off, it becomes the agreed record and neither side can argue about the starting position later.
Why the existing defects matter
Recording what is already wrong protects the government body as much as it protects you, and that is the point. A crack that was there on day one cannot be charged to them at the end, and a crack that was not there on day one cannot be dismissed as pre-existing. Both sides are better off with an accurate record.
Inspections During the Term
The property is inspected periodically during the lease rather than only at the end. That means issues are identified and dealt with as they arise, and there is no accumulation of problems waiting to be discovered in the final month of a five-year term.
This matters more than the handback inspection itself. A property checked regularly over five years comes back in a condition close to what the record says it should be. A property nobody has looked at since the keys were handed over is where the unpleasant surprises come from.
What inspections cover
- Condition against the inventory, room by room.
- Any damage or deterioration since the last visit.
- Whether repairs reported during the period have been completed properly.
- Compliance items — smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, certificate dates.
- Anything structural or ongoing that needs to be brought to your attention.
What you are told
We report anything significant to you: damage beyond the ordinary, structural concerns, anything affecting the condition record, and anything that touches your side of the responsibility split. You will not receive a report on every minor mark, and most landlords would not want one, but nothing material is kept from you.
Can I inspect it myself?
You retain a right of access on reasonable notice as set out in the lease. Some landlords want to see the property once a year and some never do. Either is fine. Tell us what you would prefer and we will arrange it around the occupants rather than you having to organise it yourself.
The Handback Process
Handback is a process that starts months before the lease ends, not an event on the final day. The property is inspected, any works are identified and completed, the occupants are moved on by the government body, and the keys come back to you with vacant possession.
1
Renewal conversation
Several months before the end of the term we ask what you want to do next, so the handback is only arranged once you have decided.
2
Pre-handback inspection
The property is inspected against the inventory well before the end date, so there is time to complete any works without delaying your handback.
3
Schedule of works
Anything beyond fair wear and tear is listed and agreed with the government body. You receive a copy.
4
Works completed
The government body arranges and pays for the work. We check it has been done to the standard recorded.
5
Occupants moved on
Rehousing the households is the government body’s responsibility under the lease, not yours.
6
Final inspection
A closing inspection against the inventory, with a dated photographic record as at the start.
7
Keys returned
Vacant possession, meter readings taken, keys and any documentation handed back to you.
The reason the process starts early is simple: works take time, and nobody benefits from discovering in the last fortnight that a kitchen needs replacing. Building the schedule of works months ahead means the property comes back ready rather than pending.
Vacant possession
The property comes back empty. Rehousing the occupants is the government body’s obligation under the lease, and it is provided for in the document. You do not serve notice, you do not take possession proceedings, and you do not deal with the occupants at any stage.
Fair Wear and Tear
Fair wear and tear is the deterioration you would expect from ordinary use over the length of the lease. It is not chargeable to the government body, and it is the one category of decline a landlord should expect to absorb. The longer the term, the more of it there will be.
This is worth being honest about. A property let for five years will not come back looking as it did on day one, and no arrangement of this kind can promise that. What it can promise is that the difference between reasonable ageing and actual damage is documented and enforced.
Fair wear and tear — yours
- Carpet worn in doorways and on stairs
- Paint faded or marked from ordinary use
- Minor scuffs on walls and skirting
- Kitchen worktops showing use
- Hinges and handles loosening with age
- Sealant discolouring around baths and sinks
- Gardens grown in over the term
Beyond fair wear and tear — theirs
- Carpet burned, torn or stained
- Walls holed, gouged or written on
- Doors damaged or off their frames
- Worktops burned or cut
- Fittings broken or missing
- Sanitaryware cracked or chipped
- Gardens left with rubbish or damage
The test is whether the condition resulted from ordinary use over the period, taking into account how old the item was at the start. A carpet that was new at the beginning of a five-year lease should not be threadbare. A carpet that was already eight years old reasonably might be.
Betterment
You are not entitled to a new item in place of an old one that has reached the end of its life. If a fifteen-year-old boiler fails during the term, the government body is not obliged to give you a new boiler for nothing. That is the principle of betterment and it applies to any tenancy or lease.
We will tell you which body your property is being matched to before you agree to anything. You see the identity of the counterparty, the term and the rent in writing at the offer stage, and you are free to decline.
FAQ
Questions About Handback
The condition recorded in the inventory at the start of the lease, less fair wear and tear. Anything beyond that is put right by the government body at their cost before the property is handed back. The inventory is what makes this measurable and enforceable.
Yes. The property is returned with vacant possession, and rehousing the occupants is the government body’s obligation under the lease rather than yours. You do not serve notice, take possession proceedings or deal with the occupants at any stage of the process.
Deterioration you would expect from ordinary use over the length of the lease — worn carpet in doorways, faded paint, minor scuffs. Damage such as burns, holes, breakages or staining is not fair wear and tear and is dealt with by the government body.
The government body, under the repairing obligation in the lease. They arrange and pay for the work before the property comes back to you. RentPromise identifies what needs doing, agrees the schedule of works and checks it has been completed properly.
We put your position to the government body using the inventory, the photographic record and the inspection history. Where a matter is genuinely arguable an independent assessment can be commissioned, and the lease sets out the escalation route beyond that.
Yes. It is inspected periodically throughout the term rather than only at the end, so issues are identified and dealt with as they arise. We report anything significant to you, including damage, structural concerns and anything affecting the condition record.
See what your property would be offered
Free survey and valuation, and a written offer setting out the rent, the term and the handback arrangements. No obligation at any stage.
Or call us on (612) 123 - 4456 78 to talk it through first.
Related Pages