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Inventory and check-in report for a rented home (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English
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For landlords, letting agents and tenants in England, Wales or Scotland at the start of a tenancy — in Wales, an occupation contract. It records the condition of each room, the furniture and appliances, the meter readings, the keys and the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, refers to dated photos, and gives the tenant seven days to add comments. Both sign it. No law requires a landlord to make an inventory (in Scotland, a letting agent who manages the check-in must), but the deposit schemes’ free dispute services rely on one when a landlord proposes deductions at the end.
- Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
- 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 into a rented home in England, Wales or Scotland and want its condition recorded.
- Your letting agent has not done an inventory and you want your own record of the flat.
- You are a landlord letting a flat and want a check-in report the tenant signs.
- You want an inventory with meter readings, keys and photos to protect the deposit later.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Address of the property
- Town or city
- Landlord
- Tenant
- Date
- Each room in turn: walls, floors, windows, fittings and their condition
- Furniture and appliances supplied, with their condition (optional)
- Electricity meter reading
- Gas meter reading
- Cold water meter reading
- Number of keys
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Where the dated photos or video are kept (optional)
Common questions
- Is an inventory compulsory for a tenancy in Great Britain?
- No statute requires a landlord to make one. But a landlord who wants to keep part of the deposit must show the damage goes beyond fair wear and tear, and the deposit schemes’ free dispute services look first at a check-in record signed by both sides. Without one, a deduction is hard to prove — and a tenant has little to show the damage was already there. In Scotland, a letting agent who manages the check-in must make an inventory and schedule of condition, have both sides sign it and give the tenant a signed copy (Letting Agent Code of Practice).
- How detailed should a check-in report be?
- Room by room: walls, ceilings, floors, windows, doors, fittings and appliances, with marks, stains and wear described plainly — for example, carpet worn by the door, two picture-hook holes above the sofa. Take dated photos or a video of each room and say in the report where they are kept. Note the meter readings and how many keys were handed over.
- What if the tenant later disagrees with the check-in report?
- The report gives the tenant seven days after check-in to send written comments, which are then attached to it. A tenant should check it straight away, add anything missed with photos, and keep a signed copy. In Wales the same report suits an occupation contract: the contract-holder signs as the Tenant, as the report itself explains.
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
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