Why it matters
What Check-in / Check-out Report means for a landlord
A check-in and check-out report is the evidence a deposit scheme adjudicator actually looks at. Without a tenant-signed check-in inventory and dated photos, a landlord almost always loses a deposit dispute, because the burden is on you to prove the damage was not there at the start and goes beyond fair wear and tear. The check-out repeats the exercise at the end so the two can be compared line by line. A vague or unsigned inventory is one of the most common reasons landlords fail to recover for genuine damage.
Worked example
How it plays out
Maya pays an independent clerk for a check-in report with dated photos for her flat in Nottingham and asks the tenant to sign or comment within seven days. At check-out 18 months later the clerk repeats it. The comparison shows a burn mark on the worktop that was not there before and normal wear to the hallway carpet. Maya claims for the worktop and not the carpet, and the adjudicator awards the worktop claim because the evidence is clear.
Common mistakes
Where landlords go wrong
- 01Taking photos with no dates or room labels.
- 02Not asking the tenant to sign or comment on the check-in report.
- 03Claiming for wear that the check-in report shows was already there.
What to do
A short checklist
- Photograph every room, including meter readings and items in good condition.
- Give the tenant a copy and a deadline to comment.
- Repeat the report in the same order at check-out.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 16 September 2026. A guide to the rules in England, not legal advice: for a dispute or a possession claim, speak to a solicitor.
