Property condition reports introduced

20 August 2014

Property condition reports signed by both landlord and tenant at the beginning and end of tenancy agreements will be introduced from October 2014.

The Housing Minister, Deputy Andrew Green, signed a ministerial order today (Wednesday 20 August) which will introduce the reports as part of the new Residential Tenancy Law.

The reports will be compulsory and record the condition and state of repair of a property at the start and end of a tenancy. The order will apply to all new residential tenancies from 31 October 2014 and will also apply to varied or renewed tenancies if landlords and tenants wish.

Tenancy deposit scheme

Deputy Green said the comparison between reports at the beginning and end of tenancies could help landlords and tenants agree the amount of deposit money which should be returned to a leaving tenant or act as evidence in any dispute resolution process.

“Condition reports are another of the important measures introduced under the Residential Tenancy Law. Together with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, it will help manage disputes over the return of a tenant’s deposit. These reports form part of a wider programme of work we have been undertaking in recent years to ensure there is a modern legal framework in place to clarify the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants,” said Deputy Green.

Property condition reports will contain basic details about the landlord, tenant, tenancy agreement and location of the property together with specific information about the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings in each room and the condition of any space or facility that is rented as part of the property.

Deputy Green said that he was keen not to restrict existing good practice among landlords, many of whom use condition reports already. He said that provided condition reports contained the minimum information required by the order, then landlords would be able to use their own documents.

However, for those landlords who are unsure how to use a condition report, templates will be made available on this website.