DIY InventoryInventory and check-in reports in Southampton
Southampton is a port city with two universities, and almost three in ten households rented privately in 2021. Victorian and Edwardian terraces around Portswood, Bevois Valley, Shirley and Freemantle are heavily let as shared houses, which is why nine wards have additional HMO licensing. The city centre has many new apartment blocks and purpose-built student halls, while Millbrook, Weston and Thornhill have large post-war council estates and tower blocks. Social renting is also high.
Homes sold in Southampton in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | 711 | £165,923 |
| Terraced | 587 | £265,796 |
| Semi-detached | 542 | £307,083 |
| Detached | 273 | £417,572 |
| Other | 57 | £980,436 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
What to check at a Southampton check-in
- Student HMOs in Portswood, Swaythling and Bevois Valley: check the HMO licence and photograph each bedroom lock, fire doors, smoke alarms and the shared kitchen, room by room.
- Victorian terraces: record the back garden, rear access, gutters and any damp in rear rooms and bay windows.
- Apartments in the city centre and Ocean Village: note fob, key and parking counts, the post box and bin store, and any balcony furniture.
- Tower blocks in Weston and Millbrook: photograph fire doors, smoke alarms and any building safety notices in the communal areas.
- Homes near the Itchen and Test estuaries: check window frames and outside metal fittings for salt corrosion, and look for condensation and mould.
Do it yourself in Southampton
- No clerk to book: do it whenever you have the keys, before the tenant moves in or with them there.
- £30 a report instead of a clerk’s fee for every check-in, inspection and check-out.
- The check-out starts from the check-in and shows what has changed, photos side by side.
- Prefer paper? Use the free inventory template.
Inventories in Southampton: questions
How much does an inventory clerk cost in Southampton?
Clerks usually charge per visit, more for bigger or furnished homes, so a check-in and a check-out together often come to a few hundred pounds. With DIY Inventory each report is £30, whatever the size, and you can do it as soon as you have the keys.
What is the average rent in Southampton?
£1,257 a month (ONS, August 2026), up 3.4% on a year earlier. Rents vary a lot by street and type of home; the free property report shows sold prices, the EPC and more for any Southampton postcode.
Do landlords need a licence in Southampton?
Selective licensing: No selective licensing scheme. Additional HMO licensing: Additional HMO licensing in nine wards from May 2025, for up to five years: Banister and Polygon, Bargate, Bassett, Bevois, Freemantle, Millbrook, Portswood, Shirley and Swaythling. It covers smaller HMOs (three or four sharers); larger HMOs anywhere in the city need a mandatory licence. Check the council’s own page before letting, as schemes change.
Can I do my own check-in inventory in Southampton?
Yes. Landlords, agents and tenants can do it on a phone: a photo checklist for every room, the date and time stamped on every photo, every item’s condition, and both sides sign. The PDF is ready the moment it’s signed.
Will a DIY inventory stand up in a deposit dispute?
Deposit schemes (DPS, TDS, mydeposits) decide on the evidence, above all the condition at check-in compared with check-out. Dated photos of every room, signed by both sides, are exactly that evidence.
Nearby areas
Ready when you have the keys
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