We are still taking advantage of the Property and Landlord Show in Coventry last week. And we would like to share these tips and “secrets” with all of you, so you can take advantage of them as well. The Deposit Protection Service in collaboration with some landlords made a list of the 10 crucial tips that you (as landlord or tenant) should be careful of when ending a rental period.

1- Make a full report of the house when the contract is signed. Both the landlord and tenant needs to agree on that first inspection, so the document can be brought back at the checkout moment as reference to avoid discussions and any other problems that may occur.

2- Landlords need to notify tenants with enough time for them to be able to attend the visit. As the landlord you should record the time, days and length you have visited them. Again, this is to avoid disputes afterwards.

3- Make sure both parties understand the process of feeling safe with these actions. Tenants have to understand a visit from the landlord is to protect his or her property from any damages that could occur, and an opportunity to share anything about the house any of the counterpart could have.

4- You could consider hiring an inventory clerk. They are professionals and they already know what is important to be recorded in a file like that when the tenants arrive at the property.

5- This advice might not be needed in most of the cases, but in others yes. Don’t be alone while having these kind of meetings. Most of the people out there (tenants or landlords) are civilized people, but not all of them, and discussions can turn into a violent dispute or fight. You should help yourself to be safer by bringing someone else with you.

6- Be thorough, both of you. It could be awkward to step around watching everything, but it is the only way to make sure the status of everything in the house. So, don’t feel ashamed to bring that camera that cost you a lot of money and you never use. Take pictures, videos, and make everything clear to have evidences in case you need them. You can even add a date stamp in most digital cameras. This is not true legal evidence but it may help, and everything is welcome.

7- If any maintenance or repair is needed at the end of the contract agreement. Make sure the checkout is completed and everything sorted before starting with the works. The next tenants will be pleased to have these sort of things.

Any other tip?