Inventory list for a holiday flat: making it hold up
Inventory list for a holiday flat: making it hold up
An inventory list is the basis of any claim for missing items. On its own it does not carry, because it can be written at any time.
It becomes robust only alongside a dated capture that actually shows the inventory. The list organises, the capture proves.
German law of obligations, §§ 280, 249 BGBIn 60 seconds
The inventory list organises your holdings by room and quantity. It is what lets you quantify missing items at all.
As evidence alone it is weak, because a self-written document can be added to at any time. The guest will argue exactly that.
It becomes strong alongside a dated capture showing the inventory. Then the list evidences the quantity and the capture evidences the point in time.
Record the year of purchase and approximate value. You need both later to calculate depreciated value.
Consumables do not belong on the list. They are not reimbursable and dilute the other items.
Legal framework
The burden of pleading and proving the inventory, the loss and the amount falls on the claimant. What is compensated is the value of the item at the time of loss. Your own records are admissible; their evidential weight depends on how traceably they came about.
What the list does and does not do
| The list | The capture |
|---|---|
| organises by room and quantity | shows the actual inventory |
| records age and value | records the point in time |
| can be changed at any time | once sealed, cannot |
How to claim for missing items is in Inventory missing after a stay; how the proof is built overall is in Proving damage in a holiday flat.
Common mistakes
Then it evidences nothing. It has to exist beforehand and be dated.
A self-written document alone is easy to dispute.
They are not reimbursable and weaken the list.
What to do next
Build the list by room, with quantity, year of purchase and value. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
Capture the full inventory once and keep that capture dated.
Reconcile against the list at every guest turnover.
Frequently asked questions
What belongs on an inventory list?
Room by room, everything that can go missing or break: crockery and glasses with quantities, textiles, appliances, small furniture and keys. Add the year of purchase and an approximate value, because you need both to calculate depreciated value. Leave consumables off.
How often must I update the list?
Whenever the inventory changes, meaning when you buy, replace or retire something. The reconciliation itself belongs in your turnover routine; the list only needs changing when something actually changes.
Why is the list alone not enough as evidence?
Because it is a self-made document. Without an independent time reference there is no ruling out that an item was added later, and that is exactly what gets argued. A dated capture of the inventory closes that gap.
This page gives general information as at the date shown. It does not replace legal advice on an individual case.