Property inventory checklist for landlords

Before you start

A check-in inventory describes the property as the tenant receives it. mydeposits and the NRLA advise doing it shortly before, or on the day, the tenant moves in, once the property has been cleaned. mydeposits adds that it should be after any previous occupant's belongings have gone.

• Property is clean and empty of the previous occupants' belongings.
• Electricity is on, so lights, sockets and appliances can be checked.
• You have the keys, remotes and fobs that will be handed over.
• Your phone or camera is set to the correct date and time, so photos are dated properly.
• You have a torch, a ladder or steps for high shelves and light fittings, and a pen if you are working on paper.

Records for the whole property

Record these once for the property, not room by room.

• The basics: full address, date and time of the inspection, and who carried it out.
• Meters: gas, electricity and water. Read each one, note its location and serial number, and photograph the reading. If a supply is not present or a meter cannot be reached, say so.
• Keys and access: every key, fob, remote and access item you hand over, with the number of each. Photograph any specialist keys and fobs, such as those for a garage or communal gate.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: where each one is, what type it is, and the result when you tested it. The NRLA lists alarm test results among the records to keep and describes them as legally required. Check the rules that apply to your property.
• Other safety items you can see: for example fire doors or extinguishers, if there are any. Record what you see. Do not describe an item as compliant or tested unless you did the test.
• Exterior: front and rear, boundaries, paths, outbuildings, bins and any garden, noting existing damage.

Checks for every room

The NRLA advises starting at the front door and working through the property in a consistent order. In each room, look at the same things in the same sequence, so nothing is missed and the check-out inspection can follow the same route.

• Doors and frames: condition, handles and locks, whether they open and close properly.
• Walls and ceilings: colour or finish, marks, scuffs, cracks, stains, signs of damp or mould.
• Floors and skirting: type of covering, wear, stains, marks, gaps, loose or lifting areas.
• Windows and sills: glazing, frames, catches and handles, blinds or curtains, condensation.
• Lights and electrics: light fittings and bulbs, switches and sockets (do they work, are covers cracked).
• Heating: radiators or heaters, their controls, any marks or leaks.
• Fixtures and furnishings: everything that is in the room, with its condition, and its make, model or serial number where visible.
• Cleanliness: record this separately from condition. A surface can be in good condition and not clean, or the reverse.
• Anything you could not check: a locked cupboard, a blocked area. Write down what and why.

Room by room

These are the items people most often forget or describe too briefly, in addition to the checks above.

Entrance hall and stairs

• Front door inside and out, letterbox, door chain or viewer, doorbell.
• Stair treads, handrails and balustrade, stair carpet or covering.
• Cupboards under the stairs, and the meter cupboard if it is here.

Living room and dining room

• Fireplace, hearth and any fire surround, noting whether it is in use.
• Furniture supplied, with fabric or surface condition, marks and tears.
• TV aerial and data points, curtain poles and rails.

Kitchen

• Each appliance by name, make, model and serial number, and whether it works. Look inside ovens, grills, fridges and freezers.
• Worktops, sink and taps (and whether they drain), unit doors, drawers and handles.
• Extractor or cooker hood, splashback and tiling, flooring under and around appliances where visible.
• Supplied crockery, cutlery or utensils, if any are included.

Bathroom, shower room and WC

• Bath, shower tray, basin and toilet: chips, cracks, staining, limescale, plugs and flush.
• Taps, shower fitting and hose, extractor fan, silicone and grout condition.
• Mirror, towel rail, toilet seat, cabinet and accessories supplied.
• Signs of damp, mould or leaks around the bath, ceiling and window.

Bedrooms

• Beds, mattresses, wardrobes and drawers supplied, with their condition. Look for stains on mattresses and check inside wardrobes.
• Built-in storage, shelving and hanging rails.

Utility room, loft and storage

• Washing machine, dryer, boiler and water heater: make, model, serial number, condition and whether they operate.
• Loft or cellar contents left behind, and shelving.

Garden, garage and outbuildings

• Lawn, borders, trees and hedges as they are, so that the tenant's responsibility is clear.
• Fences, gates, sheds, patios and washing lines.
• Garage doors and their remotes, and anything stored there.

When you have finished

• Every room has been covered, and nothing is described only as “fine” or “as expected”.
• Each photo is dated and tells you which room and item it shows.
• Meters, keys and alarms are recorded.
• You have written down anything you could not inspect.
• The tenant has the opportunity to look through the inventory, raise corrections and receive a copy. Keep proof that they did. Our guide to creating a property inventory covers this, and how to word descriptions and take photographs.

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).
• mydeposits, Inventory management guidance and tips (no date shown).
• mydeposits, Advice for check in and check out inspections (no date shown).
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme, #AskTDS: Do I need to log keys in my inventory? (6 April 2018).

Want a guided way to do this? See how InventoryKit helps landlords in England create a Check-In inventory, or see when registration opens.