Q. I am renting a property to my niece. In view of this, is it necessary to take a deposit and provide an inventory? After all she is family.

A. It is entirely up to you whether you take a deposit and do an inventory. However, the fact that someone is a family member does not mean that there will never be any dispute. Sometimes the most intractable problems arise when family relations break down and there is no proper paperwork to prove either the contents of the property or (if no tenancy agreement is provided) the terms of their occupation.

Even if you waive the requirement for a deposit, I would suggest that an inventory be prepared so you have a record of what contents were provided with the property and the property’s condition at the time the let started.

There is no need to be embarrassed about this, just say to your niece that this is required for insurance purposes.

Q. Our tenants are constantly losing the window lock keys and we are considering just not providing them the next time the property is let. Would this cause a problem?