What is a rental inventory (check-in report)?

A rental inventory (sometimes called a check-in report) is a detailed record of a property's condition and contents at the start of a tenancy - covering everything from the state of the walls and carpets to whether appliances work and furniture is undamaged.

At the start of your tenancy, there should be a "check-in" against this inventory. At the end, there's a "check-out" comparing the property's condition against the original record - this comparison is what determines whether any money is deducted from your deposit.

Why this genuinely matters: an inventory is your best protection in a deposit dispute. If damage isn't documented at check-in, you can be unfairly blamed for it at check-out.

What to do: don't just sign whatever inventory you're given - walk through the property yourself, take dated photos of every room (including existing damage, however minor), and make sure anything inaccurate in the written inventory is corrected before you sign it. If the inventory records a professional clean at check-in, that cleanliness standard is the benchmark at check-out - you still can't usually be forced to hire a named cleaner to hit it. See can my landlord charge me for cleaning. For the full move-in-to-move-out process, see how to get your deposit back.