Inventories are a must when letting out properties, it has been claimed.
According to the National Landlords Association (NLA), they should not be viewed as an optional extra.

Those who fail to carry out a proper inspection of their property before letting it out could find themselves facing hefty cleaning bills and having to replace missing items of furniture, the organisation noted.

NLA chairman David Salusbury said that composing an inventory is as important as asking a tenant to sign the lease and pay a deposit.

"It is also worth considering a proper check-out report at the end of a tenancy. This is a sensible way to note any changes in the condition of the property, furniture or itemised items that have occurred during the tenancy," he added.

In related news, a survey carried out by Halifax Home Insurance earlier this year revealed that 200,000 homeowners have taken in a lodger in the last three years.

Those planning to rent out their spare room may wish to use a self-storage service.

Written by Emily Sanders