Inventory and Check-In Checklist for Rental Properties: Protect Your Deposit Claims

What should a check-in inventory include?

A check-in inventory is a dated written and photographic record of the condition of every room, fixture, fitting and appliance on the day the tenancy starts, plus meter readings and the keys handed over. Send it to the tenant, give them time to comment, and get them to sign it. If you later want to make a deduction from the deposit, it is the baseline an adjudicator compares against.

No law says you must have an inventory. In practice, though, you will struggle to justify a deduction without one. The deposit belongs to the tenant, and the Deposit Protection Service says the landlord has to prove they are entitled to keep any of it, on the balance of probabilities. In a scheme dispute, the adjudicator decides on the written evidence and does not visit the property. For a condition claim, the DPS lists signed check-in and check-out inventory reports and date-stamped photos or video among the evidence landlords should provide.

Full inventory or schedule of condition?

• A full inventory lists every item you provide (furniture, appliances, kitchenware) and its condition. Use it for furnished and part-furnished lets.
• A schedule of condition records the state of the fabric, fixtures and fittings without listing moveable items. It can be enough for an unfurnished let, as long as it covers every surface.

Either way, the standard is the same. Someone reading it years later should be able to tell exactly what condition each thing was in.

Room-by-room checklist

Work through each room in the same order: ceiling, walls, windows, doors, floor, then fittings and contents. Record what each item is, its condition and cleanliness, and the exact location of any defect. "Scuff 2cm long on wall left of door, at handle height" is evidence. "Walls fair" is not.

Every room

• Ceiling: stains, cracks, flaking paint, signs of damp
• Walls: finish and colour; marks, scuffs, holes, cracks, and where they are
• Windows: glass, frames, seals, handles and locks; open and close each one; mould on seals
• Doors and frames: damage, handles, locks, hinges; check each door closes
• Floor: type (carpet, laminate, tile, vinyl), stains, burns, wear, scratches
• Light fittings: type, and whether every bulb works
• Sockets and switches: number, condition, working
• Curtains and blinds: type, condition, working mechanisms
• Built-in storage: open every cupboard, wardrobe and drawer and record the inside
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: location, and that you tested them on the day (alarm rules)

Kitchen

• Worktops: chips, burns, stains, scratches, photographed along their full length
• Sink and taps: chips, limescale, leaks
• Oven, hob and extractor: cleanliness (inside the oven too), damage, working
• Fridge-freezer, washing machine, dishwasher: make, model and serial number (photograph the rating plate), seals, shelves, working
• Every cupboard and drawer: interiors, shelves, runners, hinges

Bathroom

• Bath, shower tray and basin: chips, cracks, stains
• Sealant and grout: condition, and any mould (photograph it, because it shows the problem existed at the start)
• Toilet: seat, flush, staining
• Tiles: cracked or missing
• Extractor fan: working. Poor ventilation is a common cause of damp disputes. See our guide to damp, mould and Awaab's Law
• Mirrors, cabinets and shower screen: condition and fixings

Outside

• Lawn, borders and hedges: state of the garden on the day (whether cut, weeded, trimmed or overgrown)
• Fences and gates: broken panels, loose posts
• Patio or decking: stains, moss, damage
• Shed, garage or outbuilding: inside and out, contents, lock
• Bins: number and type

Meters, keys and safety paperwork

• Gas, electricity (day and night if on Economy 7) and water meter readings, with serial numbers and a photo of each
• Every key, fob and code handed over, with the number of each (front door, back door, windows, garage, communal entry, alarm)
• Record that you gave the tenant the gas safety record, EPC and electrical safety report. See the tenancy set-up checklist for the full list of documents

Photos and video

• Wide, then close. For each room, take a wide shot from the doorway and from the opposite corner, then close-ups of every defect.
• Make the date provable. mydeposits advises that photos taken separately from the inventory report should carry a visible date and time stamp. Keep the original files, because their metadata also records when they were taken.
• Use good light. Open curtains and switch lights on.
• Link photos to the text. Number or label photos so each one matches an entry in the written report.
• A video walk-through is a useful extra, but it doesn't replace written descriptions.

Getting the tenant's sign-off

Give the tenant a copy and ask them to check it, add comments and sign. mydeposits says the inventory carries maximum weight when both landlord and tenant have signed it. At the very least, there should be evidence that the tenant was sent it and given seven to ten days to add comments.

If the tenant adds comments, check them and, where they are right, update the report. If they don't sign, keep the email showing you sent it and the deadline you gave them.

Doing it yourself or using a clerk

You can prepare the inventory yourself. There is no requirement to use an independent inventory clerk, although a report from a neutral third party can be harder for a tenant to challenge. Whoever prepares it, you pay. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, you cannot charge the tenant for an inventory or check-in, or require them to pay a third party for one.

Storing the evidence

If a dispute is raised with the DPS, landlords have 14 calendar days from being notified to upload their evidence. That can be years after check-in, so:

• Save the signed inventory, all original photo files and the email you sent the tenant in one folder per tenancy, named with the address and start date.
• Keep a second copy somewhere else, such as cloud storage plus an offline backup. See storing tenancy documents securely.
• If you replace or repair something during the tenancy, record the new condition, date it, and send the update to the tenant.

At check-out

Carry out the check-out in the same order and format as the check-in, so every entry can be compared line by line. Keep fair wear and tear in mind. The DPS reminds landlords to allow for the age of items and fair wear and tear, and that the deposit "isn't to be used like an insurance policy". The deposit rules themselves, including the 10-day return deadline, are in our deposit protection guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I legally need a check-in inventory?

No statute requires one. But the landlord has to prove any deduction from the deposit, and without a record of the starting condition that is very hard to do.

Can I charge the tenant for the inventory?

No. Inventory and check-in fees are not permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

What if the tenant refuses to sign?

An unsigned inventory can still be used as evidence, but it carries less weight. Keep proof that you sent it and gave the tenant a reasonable period to comment. mydeposits suggests seven to ten days.

Can I claim for damage that isn't in the check-in inventory?

You can try, but without a record of the starting condition it is hard to show, on the balance of probabilities, that the tenant caused it. That is why the inventory needs to be complete and specific.

Should I update the inventory during the tenancy?

Yes, if you repair or replace something. Record and date the new condition, photograph it, and send the update to the tenant to check.

Further reading

• Managing a rental property without a letting agent
• Tenant referencing without a letting agent