If your property suffers damage during a tenancy, a detailed and accurate inventory of the property is essential if you hope to retain a portion of the tenant’s deposit to cover the costs of repair.
The inventory forms part of the contract between landlord and tenant and must be of sufficient detail to remove all uncertainty when it comes to  a discussion of missing or damaged property or contents.
Dispute resolution hearings depend on paperwork and a landlord is unlikely to win a claim without an agreed inventory. Allowing a tenancy to start without the creation of an up-to-date and complete inventory may expose you to financial risk.