According to the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, independent inventory clerks are affectively identifying and reporting on issues that could be criminal offences in tenanted properties in the UK.
The AIIC claims that the recent introduction and implementation of the Fitness for Human Habitation act has lead to an undeniable rise in compliance and safety issues being picked up on by independent clerks affiliated with its regulatory body.
Danny Zane, founder of My Property Inventories and chair of the AIIC states: “The level of mandatory checks has increased greatly over the last decade, from Gas Safety to smoke detectors being present in the right places and working on the move in date. For example. when a landlord instructs us to carry out the inventory check-in, they can gain solid proof that the detectors were present, power tested and working on the move in day. However, our clerks are finding properties that just do not tick all the required boxes when it comes to habitation and lawful responsibility. Thankfully landlords and agents are always very grateful that we are on site and able to note issues in order to get them resolved”.
The Fitness for Human Habitation act covers many points that must be examined and ticked off as compliant for a tenant to live well in a property. In light of recent events, and a consequent rise in awareness of risks associated with irresponsibly managed properties, the importance of tenant safety is second to none. Zane considers this a major contributing factor to the rise he has seen in the demand for full independent, unbiased inventory report that includes safety and compliance checks. He is adamant that those managing or tenanting a property would be well advised to invest in an AIIC member clerk to carry out a 3rd party clerks before the start of a tenancy.
Zane comments: “independent property inventory reports are now about much more than the cosmetics of a property, our services are a vital part of the system that keeps tenants and landlords safe and well”.
