From 6 April 2007, it become compulsory for Landlords to join a scheme that safeguards
Tenant’s damage deposits.
Where a dispute arises about allocation of a deposit that cannot be resolved, the scheme
refers the dispute to its dispute resolution service. An independent adjudicator examines
the facts and determines how the deposit should be allocated. An Inventory and record of
the condition of the fabric and content of the building at the beginning and end of a
tenancy is central to this process.
eTech’s SMART Inventory software gathers the data on the PDA required to automatically
create a ‘Check In’ and ‘Check Out’ report, recording an inventory of the contents and
the condition of the fabric of the Building. The system uses the PDA’s on-board camera
to gather photographic evidence, supplemented with pre-formatted text options. A floorplan
is also created on the PDA which orientates the rooms descriptions in the inventory report.
Once the assessment has been completed on the PDA, it is transmitted to eTech via GPRS.
The SMART Inventory report generates automatically and is published on-line to eTech’s
Inventory Portal, where further amendments can be made by the Inventory Clerk.
The information gathered on the ‘Check In’ inspection at the start of the tenancy can be
downloaded to the PDA at the end of the tenancy. The Inventory Clerk records any damage
or defect against the ‘Check In’ data on the PDA, and the system creates the ‘Check Out’
report. This allows the condition of the property at ‘Check In’ and ‘Check Out’ to be easily
compared and an assessment made as to the value of any deposit that needs to be retained.
Landlords and Tenants can access the Inventory Portal to view the Inventory on-line or print
hard copy documents.
SMART Inventory is supported with training and professional accreditation through
LIPS, the Licensed Inventory Provider Scheme.
