How to create a property inventory

What you are making

An inventory lists what is in the property. A schedule of condition records the state it is in, including existing damage. The NRLA notes that landlords often combine the two in one document, so the tenant has a single reference. At the end of the tenancy, the same document is what you compare the property against, so it needs to be specific enough to compare.

This guide describes good practice, not a legal duty. The deposit schemes treat a check-in inventory as important evidence if a deposit is disputed. If you want a room-by-room list of what to look at, use our property inventory checklist.

Prepare

• Time it well. mydeposits and the NRLA advise doing the check-in shortly before, or on the day, the tenant moves in, after cleaning. mydeposits adds that any previous occupant's belongings should be gone.
• Gather the facts first. The address, the tenancy details, the keys you will hand over, and the make, model and serial number of the appliances.
• Set your camera. Check the date and time on your phone or camera. mydeposits notes that photographs which are not digitally dated should be signed and dated by the tenant instead.
• Decide who will be there. mydeposits recommends that all tenants attend the check-in where possible and look through the inventory before moving belongings in. If they cannot attend, see letting the tenant review it.

Inspect in a set order

The NRLA suggests starting at the front door and working systematically through the property, using consistent terms or a simple rating system. Inspect each room the same way every time: doors, ceilings, walls, floors, windows, fixtures, then the contents. Record cleanliness separately from condition.

Do not skip a room because it looks fine. A room with nothing to report still needs a record that you checked it.

Choose your words

mydeposits advises describing condition and cleanliness objectively and specifically, and avoiding vague wording, because people can read vague words differently. The NRLA likewise warns against phrases such as “all good”. A good description would let someone who has never seen the property picture it, and spot a change later.

Say what the item is, what it is made of or finished with, and what you can see.

These examples are ours, to show the level of detail. If you use ratings such as “good” or “fair”, define them once and use them the same way throughout, as mydeposits advises for any terms or abbreviations.

Take useful photographs

The Deposit Protection Service says dated photographs should clearly show the condition of an item or any existing damage, and that they matter particularly when the report was not prepared independently.

• Take a wide photograph of each room from the doorway, then closer photographs of each item and each defect.
• Photograph every mark, chip, stain or crack you mention in the text, close enough to see it, and far enough away to see where it is.
• Keep each photograph linked to the item it shows. mydeposits advises embedding photographs in the inventory, or referring to them by the matching section so the tenant can initial them.
• Keep the original files, with their dates.
• The NRLA suggests placing a measuring device beside damage for scale when documenting it at check-out. The same trick helps at check-in.

Meter readings

Read the gas, electricity and water meters on the day, with a photograph of each. Note where each is, its serial number if visible, and the date and time. The NRLA and mydeposits both list meter readings among the things to record. If the property has no supply of one kind, or a meter cannot be reached, write that down instead of leaving it blank.

Keys

Record the number and type of every key given to the tenant. The Tenancy Deposit Scheme advises describing and photographing each key and fob, giving particular attention to specialist ones such as garage or communal-gate keys, so that you can note at check-out which were returned. Its post on this is from 2018 but the practice is straightforward. The NRLA adds that the tenant should confirm they have received the keys.

Alarms

Record where each smoke and carbon monoxide alarm is, its type, and what you did and found when you tested it. The NRLA lists alarm test results among the records to keep and describes them as legally required. Only record a test you actually carried out, and do not describe anything as compliant or certified unless you have a basis for saying so. Check the current rules that apply to your property.

Let the tenant review it

The schemes put weight on the tenant seeing the inventory and being able to raise corrections. What they say is guidance, not a statutory deadline:

• mydeposits advises letting the tenant look through the inventory, giving a copy, and allowing a reasonable time to propose amendments. It describes seven to ten days.
• The NRLA describes industry practice of up to seven days for the tenant to sign and comment, and advises keeping evidence that you gave them the document if they do not sign.
• The Deposit Protection Service says reports are best signed by all parties and, where signing is not possible, that the findings should be backed by date-stamped photographs.
• Both landlord and tenant should sign and date the inventory after review, according to mydeposits. Keep proof that the tenant had a genuine opportunity to review it and make amendments.

Write down any correction the tenant raises and what you agreed, and keep a dated copy of each version.

Keep it, and use it

Keep the final inventory, the original photographs and your record of how and when the tenant received it. The NRLA recommends using the check-in inventory as the reference point for periodic inspections and for check-out. If a deposit is later disputed, the scheme will look at what each side can show. Nothing guarantees a result, and a self-made inventory may carry less weight than an independent one; the Deposit Protection Service says evidence prepared by a third party, such as a professional inventory clerk, is usually strongest.

Doing this in InventoryKit

InventoryKit is a guided way to follow this method. It sets out the rooms and items, uses the same condition and cleanliness scales throughout, keeps photographs attached to the item they show, and records meters, keys and alarms. It does not collect tenant signatures or contact your tenant: you share the report yourself and record what happens. Read about InventoryKit for landlords in England.

Sources

Checked on 25 October 2026. Dates are those shown on the page, where there is one. These organisations are independent of InventoryKit and do not endorse it.

• NRLA, Landlord Inventory (last updated 10 April 2025).
• NRLA, Complete guide to inventory for landlords (published 1 September 2024; the NRLA notes the article may be out of date).
• NRLA, The importance of check in reports (published 8 January 2026, written by mydeposits' Head of Dispute Resolution).
• mydeposits, Advice for check in and check out inspections (no date shown).
• mydeposits, Inventory management guidance and tips (no date shown).
• Deposit Protection Service, What makes a reasonable deposit claim? (no date shown).
• Deposit Protection Service, The check-out process (no date shown).
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme, #AskTDS: Do I need to log keys in my inventory? (6 April 2018).

Ready to make yours? Create an inventory.