Inventory and check-in: your rights as a tenant

Moving into a rented home? The inventory check-in, where the home's condition and contents get recorded, is one of the most important steps. Get it right at the start and you guard against unfair deposit deductions at the end. Here is what an inventory is, your rights, and what to do if none appears.

What is an inventory?

An inventory describes the home's condition, and everything in it, at the start of your tenancy. It usually covers:

• Each room: walls, floors, ceilings
• Fixtures: doors, windows, light fittings
• Any landlord-provided furniture or appliances
• Meter readings at the start

A proper inventory comes with photos or a video walkthrough. The landlord or agent prepares it; you sign to confirm you agree.

Am I entitled to an inventory?

No law forces a landlord to provide one, but both sides badly need it. Without an inventory:

• You cannot prove marks or damage were already there when you arrived
• The landlord cannot prove damage happened on your watch

Most landlords and agents provide one as routine. If yours does not, make your own written record and send it to them.

What should I do when I receive the inventory?

• Read it carefully: every room, every item
• Raise disagreements at once: a "good condition" wall with a stain gets noted before you sign
• Take your own photos, even if the inventory has photos, dated if possible
• Check the meter readings match the document

Checked everything? Sign. Any notes or corrections go on the document before your signature, or into an email to the landlord straight away.

What if I sign without checking?

Signing unchecked is risky: your signature generally accepts the described condition as true. In a later damage dispute, a signed inventory carries real weight.

Already signed, but spotted a problem? Raise it in writing as soon as you can. The sooner you flag it, the more credible you are.

What if there is no check-in process?

If you move in and no inventory is provided:

1. Make your own record: walk room by room, photograph everything, note existing damage and wear
2. Send it to the landlord within days of moving in, labelled as your record of the starting condition
3. Keep a copy somewhere safe

This creates a dated record you can refer to if there is a deposit dispute when you leave.

What happens at check-out?

When you leave, the landlord usually inspects and compares against the check-in inventory. Fair wear and tear must be allowed: no deposit deduction for normal use.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

A home already in disrepair at move-in, with no proper inventory record, can complicate a claim. We check whether you may have a claim and refer suitable matters to an SRA-regulated panel solicitor, who advises how the evidence affects the case.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Tenant Fees Act 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 2004 (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• How to report disrepair to your landlord