Rental inventory checklist — a handover record for tenant and landlord

Why an inventory matters when renting

Most disputes between landlord and tenant come down to one question: what condition was the flat in at the start? Without a document that settles this, it is one word against another, and the deposit becomes a matter of haggling rather than settlement.

An inventory with photos solves this problem for both sides:

• The landlord is protected against damage and missing items — it provides grounds to deduct the deposit where that is justified.
• The tenant is protected against being charged for faults that existed before move-in — a scratch on the floor or a broken burner is documented from day one.

This is not a formality for the distrustful. It is a document that makes the end-of-tenancy settlement take five minutes rather than end in a row or in court.

Inventory versus handover record

These two terms are often confused, and they serve different roles.

In practice the inventory is part of the handover record. The record describes the whole — walls, floors, windows, meter readings — while the inventory lists specific items together with their condition. A well-prepared record contains both, plus photos.

What to include, room by room

The simplest way is to go through the flat room by room — then nothing slips through. It is worth including everything that has value or can break.

Kitchen

Fridge, oven, hob, extractor, dishwasher, microwave, kettle. Plus cabinets, worktop, sink and tap, and basic equipment if it is part of the tenancy (crockery, cutlery).

Living room and bedrooms

Sofa, armchairs, table, chairs, bed, mattress, wardrobes, chests of drawers, desk. TV and audio-visual equipment if they belong to the landlord. Lamps, curtain rails, curtains.

Bathroom and utility room

Washing machine, dryer, boiler, fittings, bathroom furniture, mirror. Vacuum cleaner and other household equipment handed to the tenant.

In Domowik you describe each thing with a photo, condition and location — and export the whole thing as a list. See it on Google Play →

Describing condition, not just the thing

The most common mistake is an inventory that lists things but says nothing about their condition. "Sofa" tells you nothing — at move-out no one knows whether the stain was there before. That is why for each valuable item it is worth adding a short note on condition:

• General condition — new, good, signs of use, damaged.
• Specific damage — "5 cm scratch on the worktop by the sink", "enamel chip in the bath".
• Appliance function — whether it works, whether the full set of remotes and accessories is present.
• Serial number for pricier equipment — it identifies the unit unambiguously.

Such a description protects both sides: the landlord has grounds to deduct for real damage, and the tenant has proof that a given fault already existed at the start.

Photos from the day of handover

A written description matters, but a photo is decisive. A dated photograph shows the condition exactly on the day of handover and is not open to interpretation.

What is worth photographing:

• Every pricier appliance and piece of furniture — as a whole and close up where there are signs of use.
• Existing damage — scratches, stains, chips, marks on walls.
• The state of floors and walls in each room.
• Rating plates with serial numbers of pricier equipment.

Meters and keys

Besides the contents, the record should cover two things that are easy to forget yet generate disputes:

• Meter readings — electricity, gas, water and possibly heating. Best with a photo of the display on the day of handover. This is the basis for settling utilities.
• Keys and remotes — how many sets of keys, to which locks, remotes for a gate or garage. Missing ones at return are a typical reason for a deduction.

Signature and two copies

A document gains force when both parties sign it and each keeps their own copy. A few rules worth following:

1. Date and signatures of both parties on the record and inventory.
2. Two copies — one each for tenant and landlord.
3. A digital version with photos — as a safeguard for paper, which can be lost.
4. Agreement on condition — if either side has reservations, they are written in at once, not after the fact.

Prepare an inventory with photos on your phone

In Domowik you add each thing with a photo, condition, location and serial number, and export the whole thing as a list or PDF report. The data stays on the device.

Get Domowik on Google Play

Scan with your phone

End of tenancy and deposit settlement

All the work put into the initial inventory pays off at move-out. A final record is drawn up and the condition compared with the day of handover.

A deposit is deducted only for damage beyond normal wear and tear — a worn carpet after two years is wear, a smashed window is damage. The line can be disputed, but documentation from the day of move-in shifts it from "who is right" to "what the photos show". If the initial inventory had dated photos, the settlement is quick and hard to challenge.

Common mistakes

• A bare list with no condition. "Fridge, sofa, table" says nothing about whether they worked and were undamaged.
• No photos. A written description is weaker in a dispute than a dated photograph.
• The document held by only one side. An inventory the tenant does not have loses credibility in a dispute.
• Skipping the meters. No initial readings is a straightforward dispute over utility bills.
• No serial numbers for pricey equipment. It makes it harder to show the returned unit is the same one.
• Putting the inventory off "for later". Once the keys are handed over, the initial condition is hard to establish.

How Domowik can help

An inventory can be made in a spreadsheet with a separate photo folder — that is enough for some people. The awkward part is the link: the list in one file, the photos in another, and the condition of each thing to remember separately.

In Domowik you save each thing as an item with photos, a note on condition, its location in the flat, brand, model and serial number. Everything is in one place and available offline. You can export the whole list, and for pricier contents prepare a PDF report with photos — a ready attachment to the record. At the end of the tenancy comparing condition comes down to looking at the saved photos.

How to inventory contents efficiently, without cataloguing every trinket, we described in the guide on home inventory step by step. And since the data stays on the device, before changing your phone it is worth making a backup.