Move-In Property Inventory

Who this is for

The record a deposit is decided on. Room by room, it lists what is in the property and the condition of each item on the day the tenant moves in, with the meter readings and keys handed over, and a signature line for both sides.

Landlords, agents and tenants at the start of a tenancy — whoever prepares it, both parties should agree it and keep a copy.

What this helps you track

• What was in each room and what state it was in on day one
• Walls, floors, windows and fittings as well as furniture
• Meter readings and the number of keys handed over
• A signed, dated baseline for the move-out comparison

How to use it

1. Fill in the property, the tenant, the date and the meter readings before you start walking round.
2. Go room by room. The first lines are already named; add items and rooms of your own as you go.
3. Give each line a condition — good, fair or poor — and describe anything less than good in the notes, plainly.
4. Photograph every room and anything you mark fair or poor, and note the photo reference against the line.
5. Both parties sign and date, and each keeps a copy. The move-out inventory works from this one.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How much detail is enough?

Enough that someone who was not there could picture it. 'Scuff on wall left of window, about hand-sized' is useful; 'walls fair' is not. Photographs with dates do most of the work.

Who should prepare it?

Anyone can. What matters is that both sides walk it, agree it and sign it. Where the tenant disagrees with a line, write the disagreement in the notes rather than leaving it unsaid.

What about an unfurnished property?

The fixed items are still there: walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, kitchen units, bathroom fittings, light fittings. Most of the prefilled lines are those; delete the furniture lines you do not need.

Is a signed inventory legally required?

Whether and in what form is set by the rules where the property is. What is true everywhere is that a dispute without an inventory is decided on memory.