MicacorMove-In Condition And Check-Out Report

How to do an inventory for a rental property

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

An inventory, also called a check-in report or schedule of condition, is a dated record of what is in a rented home and the state it is in when the tenancy starts. At the end of the tenancy it is the baseline that the check-out is compared against.

If the deposit ends up in dispute, an adjudicator from the deposit scheme decides the outcome from the paperwork alone. mydeposits says its adjudicators do not visit the property or interview the people involved. The inventory has to show what the property was like on day one, clearly enough for a stranger to follow.

You do not have to pay a clerk to produce one. mydeposits says landlords can complete their own inventory as long as it is detailed, accurate and shared with the tenant, and that the quality of the report matters more than who wrote it. The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) points out that an independent clerk is one easy way to get an impartial report, so if you do it yourself, the job is to make it just as factual. Tenants can use the same method to check the landlord's inventory, or to make their own record on moving in.

Is an inventory a legal requirement?

The answer depends on where the property is.

  • England. mydeposits describes an inventory as strongly recommended rather than a legal requirement. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, gov.uk lists an inventory service among the things a landlord cannot make a tenant pay for.
  • Scotland. The Letting Agent Code of Practice says that a letting agent who manages the check-in must produce an inventory, which may include a photographic record, unless the landlord agrees otherwise in writing. The agent and tenant should both sign it. Self-managing landlords are not letting agents, but the Code is a useful standard to work to.
  • Wales. Most standard occupation contracts include a supplementary term that requires the landlord to give the contract-holder an inventory no later than the date the written statement is due. That is within 14 days of the occupation date. The inventory must list the contents, including fixtures and fittings, and describe their condition at the occupation date. The contract-holder can comment within 14 days. If no comments arrive, the inventory is treated as accurate. Supplementary terms can be left out or changed if both sides agree, so check the written statement.
  • Northern Ireland. Deposits are capped at one month's rent and must be protected within 28 days with one of two approved schemes, according to nidirect. The method below works the same way.

Before you start

Have these ready before you walk through the door.

  • A phone with the correct date and time set. mydeposits specifically reminds people to check this.
  • An empty, cleaned property, as close to the move-in day as you can manage. Check-in reports should be finished before the tenant moves in.
  • Daylight if possible, a charged phone, and a tape measure or ruler to show scale in photos.
  • Any invoices or receipts that show when carpets, appliances, furniture and decoration were bought or done. Age is the first thing mydeposits says it considers when weighing fair wear and tear.
  • The tenancy agreement or written statement, so you know who is responsible for things like the garden.

Step by step

1. Plan a fixed route

Go room by room in an order you can repeat at check-out, for example front door, hall, then clockwise. mydeposits suggests giving each item a number so it can be cross-referenced later.

2. Describe each item factually

For each item, note what it is, its condition and its cleanliness. Condition and cleanliness are separate things. mydeposits points out that fair wear and tear applies to condition only, so a carpet can be worn but clean, or new but dirty.

Write short, specific descriptions. Avoid single words like "good" or "poor", and avoid tick boxes. A worked example used by SafeDeposits Scotland in landlord training describes a carpet as "Good. Small burn in front of window. Otherwise free from pulls and tears." That tells an adjudicator exactly what was already there. Phrases like "sparkle clean" do not.

3. Photograph wide, then close

Take a wide shot of each wall, floor and fitting for context, then a close-up of any mark with a ruler or tape beside it. DPS says photos should be clear, in colour and date-stamped so they prove they were taken on the check-in date. mydeposits adds that any photos not embedded in the report should be time and date stamped.

Micacor's camera button stamps each photo with the time you take it and prints it beside the item it shows, three to a row with captions, so the photo and the description cannot drift apart.

4. Record the extras people forget

  • Meter readings for electricity, gas and water, each with a photo.
  • Keys, fobs and remotes handed over, with how many of each.
  • Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and whether you tested them.
  • Smells. mydeposits suggests a line for any smells at check-in, and SafeDeposits Scotland lists smells and odours as something an inventory should cover.
  • The garden, outbuildings and bins. DPS lists the garden alongside carpets, walls and furniture as things the check-in report should cover.
  • In an unfurnished property, the fixtures and fittings still need recording.

5. Note age and quality where you know it

If the hall carpet was fitted two years ago, say so and keep the invoice. If the oven is an older model, note the make. This lets everyone allow for wear later without guessing.

6. Share it and invite comments

Send the finished report to the tenant and give them time to add anything you missed. mydeposits says tenants are usually given about seven days. It also says that, at the very least, there should be evidence the tenant was sent the inventory and given between seven and ten days to comment. In Wales, the standard contract term gives 14 days.

7. Sign it and keep proof

DPS says a check-in report signed by everyone carries more weight, because it shows the description is agreed rather than one person's opinion. Unsigned reports create doubt. If a tenant will not sign, keep the email or proof of postage that shows they received it and could respond. Micacor lets up to two people sign on screen before you download the A4 PDF.

What adjudicators look for

mydeposits says its adjudicators weigh evidence on four principles.

  • Consistency. Do the check-in report, check-out report, photos, messages and invoices tell the same story?
  • Credibility. Are the documents clear, and have both sides seen them?
  • Completeness. Is anything missing that would support or rule out a claim?
  • Relevance. Does the evidence relate directly to the issue in dispute?

DPS calls the check-in report the most important piece of evidence at the start of a tenancy. Its adjudicators use it to judge the original condition of the property.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Vague descriptions such as "good condition" with no detail.
  • No photos, or dark and blurry ones.
  • Different words for the same thing at check-in and check-out.
  • Doing the inventory after the tenant has moved their belongings in.
  • Not giving the tenant a chance to review and comment.
  • Leaving out the age of items, which makes any later claim harder to judge fairly.

Quick checklist

  • Phone date and time correct
  • Property empty and cleaned
  • Rooms and items numbered in a fixed order
  • Condition and cleanliness recorded separately for each item
  • Wide and close-up photos with a scale reference
  • Meters, keys, alarms, smells and garden recorded
  • Ages and invoices noted where known
  • Report sent to the tenant with time to comment
  • Signed by both sides, or proof of delivery kept
  • A copy kept by each side

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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