Inventories
Does an inventory have to be signed to count?
3 min read
A signature is not what makes an inventory count — agreement is. An inventory is evidence of the property's condition at the start of a tenancy, and its strength comes from the tenant having had a fair chance to check it and either accept it or challenge it. A signature is simply the cleanest proof that the chance was given and taken. Understanding that distinction explains what happens when the signature is missing.
What 'agreed' actually means
The gold standard is straightforward: the tenant receives the inventory at or near the start of the tenancy, is given a set period — commonly a week or so — to review it, add comments and note anything they disagree with, and then signs to confirm it. That process turns the document from one party's opinion into a shared, agreed record. When a dispute comes, an adjudicator can see that both sides accepted the same starting point, which is exactly what makes deductions provable.
What happens if it is never signed
An unsigned inventory is not worthless, but it is weaker, and how weak depends on the trail around it. If the landlord can show the inventory was sent, the tenant was invited to comment, and they simply never replied, it still carries real weight — silence after a fair opportunity looks like acceptance. If there is no evidence the tenant ever received it, or they raised objections that were never resolved, it is on much shakier ground. The signature was never the point; the paper trail is.
An inventory the tenant disputed and the agent never followed up on is one of the weakest documents in a deposit case — worse, often, than no inventory at all, because it shows a disagreement that was left unresolved.
How to make the record stick
Whether you are a landlord issuing an inventory or a tenant receiving one, the same habits protect you. Send and receive it in writing with a date attached. Use the review window properly — a tenant should note every disagreement, however small, in writing rather than assuming a quiet objection counts; a landlord should acknowledge and resolve those comments rather than ignoring them. Where possible, sign it. Where a signature genuinely cannot be obtained, a clear dated trail of 'sent, invited to comment, no objection raised' is the fallback that keeps the document credible.
The safest inventory is one nobody can argue about the provenance of — dated, delivered, open to comment, and confirmed. InventorySafe builds that agreement step into the record itself, so the question of whether it was signed rarely has to be argued at all.
Common questions
- Is an unsigned inventory valid?
- It can still be used as evidence, but it is weaker than a signed one. What matters is whether the tenant had a fair, dated opportunity to review and challenge it. If they were sent it, invited to comment and never objected, an unsigned inventory can still carry real weight; if they never received it or raised unresolved objections, it is much weaker.
- What if I never signed the inventory for my tenancy?
- You are not automatically bound by it, but do not rely on the missing signature alone. Check whether you were given a chance to comment and whether you raised any objections in writing. If the inventory is inaccurate, say so in writing now, and keep any of your own dated move-in evidence — that is what an adjudicator will weigh.
- Does a tenant have to sign the inventory?
- No tenant can be forced to sign, and refusing to sign does not make an accurate inventory disappear. The best practice for both sides is a review period in which the tenant confirms or challenges the contents. If a tenant will not sign, a landlord's dated proof that the inventory was sent and the tenant was invited to comment is the next-best record.
- How long should a tenant get to check the inventory?
- There is no fixed statutory period, but a week or so from the start of the tenancy is common and reasonable. The tenant should use that window to note any disagreement in writing. A landlord who gives a clear opportunity to comment, and resolves the comments raised, ends up with a much stronger record.