Blog

Insights for modern property reporting

Explore practical articles, product updates, industry guidance and expert commentary for inventory providers, letting agents, property managers and residential property teams.

Stay informed on property inventories, inspections, compliance workflows, reporting best practice, AI-powered reporting and the future of residential lettings operations.

Explore Latest Articles View Guides Visit Compliance Hub
All Blog Academy Press Landlords Announcements Covid-19 Guides

Latest from the blog

1083 articles
Press

InventoryBase Academy successfully host their first ‘Practical Property Reports’ training day

Following the success of their online training services, InventoryBase Academy launches a new CPD accredited practical property reports course for inventory providers. New for 2020, InventoryBase Academy lead from the success of their online training to deliver a hands-on, practical property reporting experience.  Last year saw the launch of InventoryBase Academy and the popular online […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 15, 2020 2 min
Lending figures for buy to let are cause for concern
Blog

Lending figures for buy to let are cause for concern

According to new statistics, the rate of take up in buy to let mortgages has slowed in 2019. For the month of June 2019, some buy to let investors chose a wait and see approach, thanks to political and economic uncertainty in the UK. The statistics show that there was approximately 5,300 new mortgages for […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 10, 2020 3 min
Buy to let landlord fined for breaching HMO rules has penalty reduced
Blog

Buy to let landlord fined for breaching HMO rules has penalty reduced

Buy to let landlord who was originally fined over £31,000 by Coventry City Council has had their penalty reduced by around 90 per cent. Tan Sandhu was first fined £31,499 by the Council for breaching the 2004 Housing Act. However, this was later cut to £23,649, before then being appealed at the Property Chamber, and First […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe January 5, 2020 4 min
Do Inventory Clerks Need Insurance?
Academy

Do Inventory Clerks Need Insurance?

As a practicing inventory clerk you should be insured whether you are self-employed, a sole trader or a limited company. Most high street agents require clerks / companies that provide inventory services to have insurance as it protects them against claims from tenants and landlords. For most clerks (self employed / sole trader) you will […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 18, 2019 4 min
Practical Property Reports Training – January 2020
Academy

Practical Property Reports Training – January 2020

Just released! Our highly anticipated first practical training course dates for January 2020 are now open for enrolment. Following on from our successful e-learning course “Learn how to produce professional inventory reports” our CPD accredited practical training is led by industry expert, Siân Hemming-Metcalfe. And as an InventoryBase Academy graduate, you are exclusively invited to […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 17, 2019 2 min
All I want for Christmas is… A warm property to inventory!
Academy

All I want for Christmas is… A warm property to inventory!

Winter has well and truly arrived and with it lots of cold properties to inventory! As a hands on inventory provider I dread the cold winter months as properties are sometimes colder inside than out! And with the reduced sunlight you are often rushing around trying to fit in the jobs before its too dark […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 16, 2019 4 min
Press

InventoryBase receive ‘highly commended’ placing in two categories in the 2019 Negotiator Awards

InventoryBase has been awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ place in Supplier of the Year: Services and Products (Business) & Supplier of the Year: Professional Support in The Negotiator Awards, honouring the very best players in the real estate industry in the UK. The Negotiator Awards took place on 29th November at The Grosvenor House, London. Each […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 3, 2019 2 min
How often a landlord should inspect a property and how to conduct an inspection
Blog

How often a landlord should inspect a property and how to conduct an inspection

It is one of the least liked chores of being a landlord, but essential all the same – inspections are one of the most important factors in renting property, and should never be overlooked. But how should you conduct a property inspection and how often should you carry one out? It is wise for landlords […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe December 2, 2019 4 min
Good property managers are vital for landlords
Blog

Good property managers are vital for landlords

Whether you are a resident management company, house builder or property investor, property management is crucial. With more people choosing, or being forced into, renting, due to the astronomical rise in house prices, the expectations of tenants, and the service they want to receive is getting higher and more extensive. There is a wide range […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 29, 2019 4 min
Press

InventoryBase to attend this year’s Negotiator Conference after being shortlisted for 3 awards

Leading property inspection app providers, InventoryBase, will attend this years industry renowned event in the hope of receiving the well-regarded accolade. InventoryBase has been confirmed as a finalist at the Negotiator Awards 2019 in three categories – Supplier of the year for Products & Services (Business), Technology (Apps) and Professional Support.  The award submission focused […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 26, 2019 2 min
Transforming long-term rental properties into holiday lets could be more profitable
Blog

Transforming long-term rental properties into holiday lets could be more profitable

Letting property on a short term basis, or as a holiday home, is proving profitable thanks to the rise of short term rental platforms such as Airbnb, and changes to taxes for buy to let property. With many landlords considering short-term rentals a hassle compared to longer-term lets, there has been an increase in the […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 26, 2019 4 min
Your rights to inspect your rental property as a landlord
Blog

Your rights to inspect your rental property as a landlord

In the case of a dispute, rental property inventory reports provide crucial evidence and help avoid conflict with your tenants. If a tenant disputes charges for damage to a rental property, if the landlord has an inventory report signed by the tenant, this should prevent the dispute from going any further. Inventory reports and inspections […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 22, 2019 4 min
The importance of detail in a property inventory
Blog

The importance of detail in a property inventory

A property inventory is essential in preventing disputes with tenants, and ensuring that your rental property is in the same condition at the end of a tenancy as at the beginning. Essentially a list of all the contents and description of the condition of all items in the home, an inventory is one of the […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 20, 2019 4 min
Blog

InventoryBase Workstreams – Six years in the making

There’s a real buzz in the offices of InventoryBase. Every day we experience a win, whether it’s a great new customer, an exciting new feature launch, a completely off-the-wall innovation, or just a day not talking about Brexit. We started as a team of four people back in 2012, today we’re a team of twenty, […]

S Steve Rad November 19, 2019 5 min
How Housing Policy Changes Have Affected Every Group In The Private Rented Sector – FixFlo Report
Academy

How Housing Policy Changes Have Affected Every Group In The Private Rented Sector – FixFlo Report

A very useful report from Fixflo has been published outlining how the lettings market is managing the recent housing policy changes and how they have affected practically every group in the private rented sector.For me the key takeaways are: 18% of agents in England and 32% in Scotland responded saying they were ‘not at all […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 14, 2019 2 min
The continuing risks behind the Worcester Park fire
Blog

The continuing risks behind the Worcester Park fire

In Worcester Park, a block of flats built by Berkeley in South West London, burnt down in September of this year. Shockingly, however, a recent report has discovered that there are further apparent flaws found in two more buildings from the Berkeley Group. It is claimed that flats are still at risk from useless or […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 14, 2019 4 min
Letting agent discovers tenant subletting by chance through Airbnb
Blog

Letting agent discovers tenant subletting by chance through Airbnb

By chance, a letting agent discovered that a tenant was subletting their rental home via Airbnb. Base Property Specialists, the agent, also found out that the home had received over 70 reviews on the short-stay portal since the tenancy began. The story has made waves across the industry and has been featured in a prime […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 11, 2019 4 min
Finding Work After Armed Forces – Where Next?
Academy

Finding Work After Armed Forces – Where Next?

Many (many) years ago I had the privilege of working with the Army at the Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC) in Colchester. I was part of a Prison Service initiative where we worked alongside the armed forces to help rehabilitate young people to reduce reoffending. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with our uniformed colleagues and […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe November 6, 2019 6 min
Press

InventoryBase rated ‘exceptional’ in Best EA Supplier Guide 2020.

Today InventoryBase proudly announced securing two exceptional ratings in the prestigious EA Supplier Guide 2020. InventoryBase has been successfully placed as an ‘exceptional’ provider of services within the trusted industry publication, Best EA Supplier Guide 2020 sponsored by Kerfuffle.  The market-leading property inspection app was rated exceptional in both the ‘Inventory Management’ and ‘Property Management’ […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 29, 2019 2 min
A landlord’s guide to avoiding disputes by using inventories
Blog

A landlord’s guide to avoiding disputes by using inventories

An inventory is one of the most crucial documents you will have in your possession as a landlord. In order to prevent deposit disputes with your tenant and protect your investment, it is essential that you obtain your landlord’s guide and complete an inventory for your rental property. The likelihood of a dispute is decided […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 11, 2019 4 min
How to Price Your Inventory Report
Academy

How to Price Your Inventory Report

It can be quite difficult to understand the cost of a report if you do not know how many rooms or areas are to be included so the following is a guide to getting the pricing right first time. The floorpan shown is a large house located in the Dorset region. Some inventory providers quote […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 9, 2019 3 min
Ban on letting fees helps tenants in Wales
Blog

Ban on letting fees helps tenants in Wales

A ban on letting fees charged by landlords and letting agents has been enforced in Wales. The new legislation aims to make the renting process fairer and simpler for tenants, and will save tenants approximately £200 for each tenancy, according to the Welsh Government. The ban came into effect on 1st September 2019. Tenants will […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 4, 2019 4 min
Press

Accommodation.co.uk partners with InventoryBase Workstreams to access nationwide inventory providers

Today InventoryBase announced a partnership between Accommodation.co.uk and newly launched InventoryBase Workstreams, providing nationwide access to professional vetted inventory suppliers.

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 3, 2019 1 min
A landlord’s right to view or inspect a property
Blog

A landlord’s right to view or inspect a property

One of the most common causes of tension and disputes between tenants and landlords is a confusion around a landlord’s rights to view or inspect the property that they own. When studying the rights of tenants and landlords in Wales and England, it can seem as if the rights that you each have are in […]

S Sián Hemming-Metcalfe October 2, 2019 4 min
Compliance & legislation

Compliance and legislation updates

Follow practical updates and explainers on legislation, housing standards and compliance-related inspection workflows.

Renters' Rights Act Damp and mould Awaab's Law HHSRS Building Safety Act Legionella Fire safety Deposit evidence Fair wear and tear
Visit Compliance Hub

Get property reporting insights in your inbox

Receive practical guidance, product updates and industry insights for residential property reporting and compliance workflows.

Ready to improve property reporting?

Explore InventoryBase to see how modern inspection workflows, professional reports, BaseAI and connected evidence records help residential property teams work faster and more consistently.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo View Platform