A well known charity that supports the homeless hopes the introduction of a new mobile phone app will reduce the disputes between landlords and their tenants. Housing charity, Shelter Scotland, has created the free Housemate app for the iPhone in a bid to help both prevent and resolve rows over tenancy deposits.
Shelter Director, Graeme Brown, has described the device as a simple but highly effective application. It is sponsored by the property services group Orchard and Shipman and all interested parties believe the app could play a big part in settling disputes before they get out of hand. The app will generate a full digital inventory of a property’s contents and condition, with high quality photographs. The creators of the app hope the inventories will be so comprehensive that there will be no grounds for argument between landlords and their tenant when the time comes to returning a deposit when a tenancy comes to an end.
Mr Brown said: “Too many tenants have all or part of their deposit withheld unfairly and their chances of arguing successfully for its return are often compromised by a lack of evidence. With Housemate, both tenant and landlord will have the proof they need. Not only does it create a full record of what a property contains and the condition it’s in, it also includes photographic evidence. The resulting inventory can then be shared via email. It’s simple but highly effective. We hope that for users of Housemate, arguments over deposits will become a thing of the past and landlords and tenants alike can enjoy a positive, mutually-beneficial relationship.”
Despite knowing where to find buy-to-let insurance, landlords are often unsure how to create an inventory. This new app will put an end to that worry over the inventory process. The great thing about the app is that it is easy to navigate and has an extensive catalogue making it easy to create a comprehensive photographic and written inventory. The app can be downloaded from the iPhone’s app store or from Shelter Scotland’s website.