End of tenancy checklist for landlords. From the check-out to the deposit back and the next let.

Since 1 May 2026 an assured tenancy in England has no fixed term. It ends when a tenant’s notice runs out, when landlord and tenant agree to end it, or by a court order; how much notice a tenant gives is covered in the notice to quit guide. From the day the end date is known the jobs run in order: the check-out, the meters and the keys, the deposit, then the next let.

Book the check-out for as soon as possible after the keys come back. The Deposit Protection Service says the longer it is left, the more doubt arises that a problem was caused by the tenant, and mydeposits says the report is usually done within two days of the tenant moving out. Walk the same rooms in the same order as the check-in inventory, photograph each change with the date, read every meter, count the keys back, and invite the tenant to attend. If they will not sign the check-out, the DPS says to submit the report and the evidence anyway; an email or text agreeing it is acceptable evidence.

Each deduction is yours to prove. The schemes’ joint guide says the onus is on the landlord to prove a claim, and the tenant has no obligation to prove anything. A claim stands best on a signed check-in inventory, a check-out report set against it, dated photos, and invoices or receipts rather than estimates. Fair wear and tear is never claimable, and a deduction cannot leave the home better than it began. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 still permits damages for a breach of the tenancy (Schedule 1, paragraph 5), and a charge for a lost key only where the tenancy agreement provides for it, at the reasonable cost evidenced in writing (paragraph 4).

Once you and the tenant agree the amount, the deposit must be returned within 10 days (GOV.UK). Where the scheme holds it, the scheme pays out within 10 days of receiving both sides’ agreement (Housing Act 2004, Schedule 10, paragraph 4). Where you hold it and the scheme insures it, a tenant who asked and has not been repaid within 10 days can tell the scheme, which then directs you to pay the amount outstanding into the scheme (paragraph 6). If you cannot agree, the scheme’s dispute service decides on the evidence; using it is voluntary (paragraph 10). The deposit return guide works through each case.

Before the next tenant moves in: a new check-in inventory; each gas appliance checked for safety in the 12 months before the tenancy begins, or within 12 months of being fitted if newer, with the record given to the new tenant before they move in (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36(3)(b) and (6)(b)); an electrical report still in date and needing no further work, or else a new inspection and test before the tenancy begins, with a copy to the new tenant before they move in (SI 2020/312, regulation 3, and the GOV.UK electrical safety guidance of November 2025); a valid EPC rated E or above, or an exemption registered on the PRS Exemptions Register (Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015, regulation 23); the alarms checked on the day the tenancy begins; Right to Rent checks on each adult; the written statement of terms before the tenancy is entered into (Housing Act 1988, section 16D); and the new deposit protected within 30 days. The advert must state the rent, and no offer above it can be invited or accepted (Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 56). The old tenant’s Right to Rent copies are kept for at least one year after their tenancy ends, then destroyed.

LetCompliance is landlord software that runs the whole let, the end of it included. The check-out is set against the check-in item by item and the deduction worked out from the lifespans you enter, on every paid plan, from £7.99 a month, and the 3-day trial. End the tenancy on any plan and the rent charges after the end date are removed, the Direct Debit is stopped, the tenant is emailed the deposit decision with each deduction, and the return is recorded on the tenancy. The deposit dispute pack is on paid plans, not the trial.