Doing it yourself will save you money at the start of a tenancy, but it may well lose you money at the end. A 3rd party report is independent verification of the effects in your dwelling and their value and will be looked at more favourably by an adjudicator in the event of a dispute.
An inventory performed by the landlord or even their letting agent will not be seen as independent and, therefore, you may run into trouble if the tenant refuses to agree with any charges for damage or repair when it’s time to hand the keys back to you.
