Move-in and move-out checklist
Deposit disputes are almost always about something nobody wrote down at move-in. Here is an order for walking the place twice, when you arrive and when you leave, with the same list in your hand both times.
Before you go: what to bring
- Your phone, charged, with free space for photos.
- The printable move-in checklist, on paper or open on your phone.
- A pen and a torch (the phone light works) to look under the sink and inside cupboards.
- The lease and any inventory you were given: you will compare against it.
Always the same order
Walk the place in the same order at move-in and at move-out. Then every move-out photo has its move-in photo of the same spot next to it, and the comparison does itself.
A simple order: from the front door inwards and, in each room, clockwise. Walls, ceiling and floor first; then windows, sockets and lights; last, what is inside the room, such as furniture and appliances.
What to note in each room
- Walls and ceiling: stains, nail holes, damp, chipped paint.
- Floors: scratches, dents, stains, loose skirting boards.
- Doors and windows: that they open and close, cracked glass, handles and locks.
- Kitchen: taps, leaks under the sink, hob, oven, extractor fan, cupboards.
- Bathroom: shower sealant, mouldy grout, a toilet that keeps running, ventilation.
- Meters and keys: the reading on each meter and how many keys you were given.
Do not just look: test. Run the taps, light the hob, flush the toilet, open and close every window. Whatever does not work on day one goes on the list too.
Damp stain above the window
One photo from afar, one up close
For everything you note, two photos: one from a distance that shows where it is, and one close up that shows what it looks like. On the sheet, next to the item, write the photo number. How to take photos that hold up is in dated move-in photos.
Make sure the other side sees it
A list only you have is worth little if there is a dispute later. Ask your landlord or agent to sign it, or send it the same day by something that keeps a date (email or a message) and keep the reply.
With DepositSeal you photograph each room, the server seals the time and the fingerprint of every photo, and your landlord gets a link to confirm them or leave observations.
The day you move out
- Clean before you take the move-out photos.
- Repeat the same walk and, where you can, the same framing as each move-in photo.
- Write down the meter readings and return the keys against a receipt or a message that says so.
- If your landlord does the check-out, ask to be there and to get anything they find in writing.
After handover, the steps to ask for the money are in how to get your deposit back.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules and deadlines depend on your country, your city and your lease.