Agents and landlords are being urged to take a more systematic approach to inspections and property condition.
Industry supplier Inventory Base says that under the Renters Rights Act tenancies may last longer than today, so reducing the opportunities for in-person visits by landlords and agents.
As a result, agents may have to diarise regular monitoring and stronger documentation to demonstrate that homes are being properly managed.
A survey of 800 UK landlords commissioned by Inventory Base found that 46% expect to inspect their properties no more than once a year once fixed terms disappear.
Around 26% plan annual inspections, 3% less than once a year, while 18% said they would only inspect when a tenant reports a problem.
The findings suggest a large proportion of landlords risk having limited evidence of how a property has been maintained during long tenancies, at a time when regulators and adjudicators are expected to place greater emphasis on documented management history rather than single inspection reports.
Agents urged to be better organised on property inspectionsInventory Base says landlords should move towards a “lifecycle evidence” approach, where inspections, maintenance decisions and safety checks form part of a continuous record throughout the tenancy rather than isolated events.
This would typically include an initial HHSRS risk assessment, a detailed inventory, early-stage inspections after occupation, and regular follow-up visits supported by clear decision logs and photographic evidence.
Inventory Base operations director Sián Hemming-Metcalfe says: “Agents will need to move beyond treating inspections as isolated reports and start building a continuous understanding of how their properties perform over time.
“With indefinite periodic tenancies replacing fixed terms, many properties may remain occupied for much longer without the traditional reset point that previously came with a new tenancy.
“That means property management can no longer rely on occasional snapshots of condition.
“In the post-RRA rental market, compliance will depend not just on the condition of a property at a single moment, but on the quality and continuity of the evidence behind how it has been managed.”
