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Check-out report and return of keys (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland · in English
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14 questions · about 6 min
Made for use in Northern Ireland
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For the end of a private tenancy in Northern Ireland. It records the day the keys were returned, the final meter readings, the condition of each room compared with the check-in report and anything the tenant does not accept. Signed by both — or, if the landlord or agent does not attend, completed by the tenant alone with dated photos and sent the same day by email and by recorded delivery. It is the evidence the free dispute service of TDS Northern Ireland or myDeposits Northern Ireland weighs.
- Made for use in Northern Ireland
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are moving out of a rented home in Northern Ireland and handing back the keys.
- Your landlord did not turn up on the day you left and you want your own record of the condition.
- The letting agent says the flat was left dirty and you want the check-out written down room by room.
- You want a signed check-out report before asking for your deposit back.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Address of the property
- Town or city
- Landlord
- Tenant
- Date
- Who was present at check-out
- Number of keys
- Electricity meter reading
- Gas meter reading
- Cold water meter reading
- Where the dated photos or video are kept (optional)
- Condition at check-out, room by room, compared with the check-in report
- Points or charges the tenant does not accept (optional)
- Your address after you move out (optional)
Common questions
- What counts as fair wear and tear when a tenancy in Northern Ireland ends?
- The deterioration that comes from normal use over the length of the tenancy — faded paint, light carpet wear, a loose hinge — which a landlord cannot charge for. Damage, missing items and dirt beyond the condition recorded at check-in can be deducted, at a fair cost. The deposit schemes publish free guidance on how their adjudicators judge it, taking account of how long the tenancy lasted.
- My landlord did not come to the check-out in Northern Ireland: what do I do?
- Complete this report yourself on the day you return the keys, room by room, with dated photos or a video; choose the option that you were alone, sign it, and send it that day by email and by recorded delivery, keeping the Royal Mail receipt. Keep a copy and the photos: they are your evidence if the landlord later proposes deductions from the deposit.
- How soon after leaving a home in Northern Ireland should I raise a deposit dispute?
- As soon as you know you disagree. Each approved scheme — TDS Northern Ireland or myDeposits Northern Ireland — sets its own time limit for raising a dispute after the tenancy ends, so check its rules when you move out. Ask the landlord in writing for the deposit straight away, with this report attached; the letter asking your landlord to return the deposit sets out the next steps.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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