Landlord inventory template: the check-in report that decides your deposit case
No law makes you prepare an inventory. But if you ever want to keep part of a deposit, the scheme holds the disputed amount until the matter is settled — and you are the one proposing the deduction. Fill this in at check-in, run it again at check-out, and the difference between the two is your evidence. Free, no signup, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Fill in the details
Meter readings
Keys handed over (number)
Condition room by room
In the print dialog, choose “Save as PDF” as the destination. Nothing is sent to a server — it all stays in your browser. Produce two copies, one for each party, and have both sign.
Inventory and schedule of condition — check-in
Between:
The landlord: ____________
The tenant: ____________
Property: ____________
Date of inspection: ____________
Meter readings
| Electricity | ____________ |
| Gas | ____________ |
| Water | ____________ |
Keys handed over
____________
Condition room by room
| Room | Condition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance hall | Good | — |
| Living room | Good | — |
| Kitchen | Good | — |
| Bedroom 1 | Good | — |
| Bathroom | Good | — |
| WC | Good | — |
Both parties agree this report records the condition of the property and its contents on the date shown. Each party keeps a signed copy. Fair wear and tear is not a chargeable deduction.
Signed at: ____________, ____________
Why the record matters more than it used to
The deposit rules themselves have not changed. You still have to protect the deposit in an authorised scheme within 30 days of receiving it and give the tenant the prescribed information, and the deposit is still capped at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000 (six weeks at or above it).
What changed is the consequence of getting it wrong. Section 215 of the Housing Act 2004 used to say that an unprotected deposit blocked a section 21 notice. Since 1 May 2026 it says something sharper: the court may not make an order for possession where the deposit was not properly held — with the only exceptions being grounds 7A and 14. Since section 21 no longer exists, that restriction now bites on the route you actually have to use.
So the deposit is more entangled with possession than before, not less. A clean check-in record does not affect protection — but it is what lets you resolve an end-of-tenancy deduction quickly instead of arguing about it.
Making it hold up
- Do it on the day keys change hands, not from memory afterwards.
- Be specific in the notes. “Good” on its own tells you nothing later; “small scuff left of window, otherwise good” does.
- Record meters and keys — these are the two things that turn into disputes and the two easiest to prove.
- Photograph anything already damaged and reference it in the notes.
- Both parties sign, both keep a copy. If the tenant will not sign, note that, date it, and send them a copy anyway.
- Use the same rooms in the same order at check-out so the two documents line up.
Official sources: GOV.UK: deposit protection schemes and landlords · Housing Act 2004 s.213 · s.215 as substituted.
Questions
Is an inventory legally required?
No statute makes you prepare one. What the law requires is that the deposit is protected in an authorised scheme within 30 days and that you give the tenant the prescribed information. The inventory matters for a different reason: if you later want to keep part of the deposit, the scheme holds the disputed amount until the issue is settled, and you are the one proposing the deduction. A check-in report signed by both parties is what turns “the carpet was damaged” into something you can actually show.
What is the difference between an inventory and a schedule of condition?
In practice they are usually one document, which is how this template treats them. The inventory is the list of what is there — furniture, appliances, curtains, keys. The schedule of condition describes the state each item and room is in. A furnished let benefits from a separate contents list alongside this report; an unfurnished one usually does not need it.
Do I need a check-out report as well?
Yes, and it is the comparison that does the work. A check-in report on its own proves the property was fine at the start but says nothing about what changed. Run the same document again at the end, on the same rooms in the same order, and the difference between the two is your evidence. This generator produces both — switch the report type at the top.
Can I charge the tenant for wear and tear?
No. Fair wear and tear is the deterioration you would expect from ordinary use over the length of the tenancy, and it is the landlord’s cost, not the tenant’s. A carpet that has thinned over four years is wear and tear; a burn in it is damage. The practical consequence is that vague notes hurt you — “carpet worn” at check-out proves nothing without a check-in record showing what it looked like before.
Does the tenant have to sign it?
They do not have to, but an unsigned report is much weaker. The strongest version is signed by both parties on the day, with a copy given to the tenant. If a tenant will not sign, note that on the document, date it, send them a copy anyway and keep proof you sent it — a contemporaneous record they were given and did not dispute is far better than nothing.
How do photographs fit in?
They complement the report rather than replacing it. A photograph shows a condition but not reliably when it was taken or which property it belongs to; a signed, dated report ties them together. Take photographs at check-in and check-out, reference them in the notes column, and keep them with the report.
Does this apply outside England?
The document itself is just a record and is useful anywhere, but the deposit rules referenced here are England’s. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each run their own deposit schemes and rules, so check the deadlines and dispute process that apply where the property is.
Keep check-in and check-out together
The pair of reports is only useful if you can still find both at the end of a tenancy. LandlordHub stores documents and photos per property alongside the tenancy dates and rent record, so the check-in report is where you left it three years later.
Try it freeRelated: what replaced the assured shorthold tenancy · section 8 grounds for possession · HMO licensing · more in the UK toolbox · all countries on the tools hub.