MicacorMove-In Condition And Check-Out Report

End of tenancy inspection checklist and check-out report

For Scotland, England and Wales. Updated 19 October 2026.

The check-out is the second half of the inventory. It records the property's condition and cleanliness on the day the tenant leaves, so the two reports can be laid side by side. mydeposits says that putting the check-in and check-out reports together lets an adjudicator see exactly what changed during the tenancy. A check-out with nothing to compare against proves very little.

This guide covers timing, a checklist for each side, and a simple method for comparing against the check-in.

When to do the check-out

Do it as close as possible to the moment the property is empty and the keys are back. mydeposits says the check-out report is usually completed within two days of the tenant moving out. It warns that if the landlord waits much longer, the tenant could argue that damage happened after they left.

Invite the tenant. SafeDeposits Scotland tells landlords the tenant must be invited to attend, and that the tenant should not be left with keys or let back in after the check-out. In Scotland, the Letting Agent Code of Practice requires agents to offer the tenant the chance to be present unless there is good reason not to, and to give reasonable notice of the arrangements. A self-managing landlord is not bound by the Code, but it is a fair standard to follow anywhere in the UK.

Use the notice period to plan. The minimum notice a tenant has to give depends on the nation:

  • England. Since 1 May 2026, tenants on assured periodic tenancies end them by giving two months' notice, unless the landlord agrees a shorter period in writing. Fixed end dates no longer apply, so the check-out date is set by the notice.
  • Scotland. A tenant on a private residential tenancy must give at least 28 days' notice in writing, unless a different period has been validly agreed in writing.
  • Wales. A contract-holder on a periodic standard contract must give at least four weeks' notice.

mydeposits suggests a pre-check-out visit during the notice period. It highlights repairs early and gives the tenant a chance to put things right before they leave.

Checklist for tenants before you hand back the keys

  • Find your copy of the check-in inventory and read it room by room.
  • Clean to the standard recorded at check-in. mydeposits says the cleaning standard does not change with the length of the tenancy, because fair wear and tear applies to condition, not cleanliness.
  • Remove all your belongings and rubbish, including from sheds, lofts and bins.
  • Leave the garden in the state the tenancy agreement asks for.
  • Put back anything the inventory lists that you moved or stored.
  • Photograph every room on the day you leave, with the date visible. mydeposits includes this in its tenant evidence checklist.
  • Photograph the meter readings.
  • Return every key and fob listed at check-in, and get a note of the handover.
  • Keep copies of any messages where you reported repairs during the tenancy.

On cleaning, England's Tenant Fees Act 2019 stops a landlord requiring a tenant to enter into a contract with a third party for a service. What the deposit schemes compare is cleanliness at the end against cleanliness at the start. mydeposits says that claiming for a professional clean when the property was only domestically clean at check-in would put the landlord in a better position than before, which it calls betterment.

Checklist for landlords on the day

  • Bring the check-in report, signed if possible, and follow its room order.
  • Use the same words and scales as the check-in so differences are obvious.
  • Take photos from the same angles as the check-in photos, plus close-ups of any new marks with a ruler or tape for scale.
  • Record condition and cleanliness separately for every item.
  • Note any smells, as mydeposits suggests recording them at check-in for this comparison.
  • Read and photograph the meters.
  • Count the keys and fobs against the check-in list.
  • Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and note the result.
  • Record the garden with the season in mind. In one mydeposits case, the adjudicator made no award for hedges that had grown between check-in in November and check-out in late June, because the growth was consistent with the time of year.
  • Check for anything listed at check-in that is now missing.

How to compare against the check-in

Go line by line and put each item into one of four groups.

  1. No change. The check-out matches the check-in. Nothing to discuss.
  2. Changed, consistent with normal use. Some wear is expected after months or years of living somewhere. The longer the tenancy and the more people living there, the more wear is reasonable. This is fair wear and tear and is not charged to the tenant.
  3. Changed beyond normal use. Burns, stains, breakages, holes and missing items. These are the items that might lead to a deduction, subject to the age of the item and the cost being reasonable.
  4. Cleanliness lower than at check-in. Treated separately from condition. The fix is cleaning to the standard recorded at the start, not better.

mydeposits describes a "schedule of differences", which records only what has changed against the check-in. It works well if the check-in was thorough.

Micacor builds the check-out from the check-in, so every room and item is already there with the move-in record alongside, and a changes list shows only what got worse.

After the check-out

  • Send the report to the tenant. mydeposits says it is generally acceptable for the check-out report to be sent to the tenant without necessarily being signed. DPS says that if a tenant refuses to sign, the landlord should still submit the report with supporting evidence, and that an email or text agreeing to it counts as evidence.
  • Put any proposed deductions in writing. Refer to the inventory line, the photos and the cost. The Scottish Code asks agents to give clear written information about damage and proposed repair costs with reference to the inventory.
  • Get itemised quotes. mydeposits says an estimate for future work and an invoice for completed work are treated equally, and the work does not have to be done before adjudication. A breakdown by area and by materials and labour lets an adjudicator award fairly.
  • Talk before you dispute. DPS says that in most cases the two sides reach agreement and the deposit is repaid without a problem. If they do not, each deposit scheme has a free dispute service with its own deadlines, covered in our separate guides for Scotland and for England and Wales.

Common check-out problems

  • No check-in report, so there is nothing to compare against.
  • A long gap between the tenant leaving and the inspection.
  • Different terms at check-in and check-out, such as "fair" becoming "worn".
  • Photos with no date, or photos that do not show where in the room they were taken.
  • Claiming the full cost of replacing an old item, with no allowance for its age.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. It does not decide what counts as fair wear and tear in any particular case.

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