Guides · Inventory checklist
What deposit adjudicators look for, a room-by-room check-in checklist, and how to handle check-out, fair wear and tear and deductions in England.
By ARX Algorithms, makers of SnagAudit · Updated 1 October 2026
When a tenancy ends badly, the deposit protection scheme's adjudicator decides who gets the money, and they decide it on evidence. The deposit stays the tenant's money until the landlord proves a claim, so the burden of proof is on the landlord or agent. The single most important piece of evidence is a clear, detailed check-in inventory that the tenant signed, matched by a check-out report done soon after the keys come back.
All three government-approved schemes (the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, the Deposit Protection Service and mydeposits) ask for the same things: a signed check-in inventory, a check-out report, and dated photographs or video. A vague inventory ("carpet: fair") or one the tenant never signed carries little weight.
Do the check-out as soon as possible after the tenant returns the keys (mydeposits says it is usually completed within two days), and compare each item against the check-in record rather than against perfection.
Adjudicators allow for fair wear and tear: deterioration from normal use. They look at the length of the tenancy, the number and type of occupiers, and the age and quality of each item at the start. A landlord must not end up better off than at the start of the tenancy (known as betterment), so a claim for a worn item is apportioned rather than charged at full replacement cost. mydeposits' guidance puts the expected life of décor and carpets at around five years (closer to three in student lets) as a starting point.
A good check-out report therefore shows, item by item, what changed since check-in, whether that is wear and tear or damage, and a proposed deduction that is reasonable and proportionate.
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord or letting agent in England cannot charge a tenant for an inventory or check-in. The permitted payments are limited to rent, a capped deposit, a holding deposit and a short list of default and change fees, so the cost of inventories sits with the landlord or agent.
SnagAudit's property inventory app follows this structure: room-by-room items with separate condition and cleanliness ratings, dated and located photos that are hashed at capture so they can be shown to be unaltered, meter readings, keys and alarm checks on the cover, and tenant and landlord signatures on the phone. At check-out, every check-in item comes forward with its original condition so you only record what changed, mark wear and tear or damage, and the PDF includes a schedule of proposed deductions.
Every room item by item, with condition and cleanliness recorded separately, descriptive wording, dated photographs, meter readings, keys, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm tests, and signatures and dates from the tenant and landlord or agent.
It is not a legal requirement, but all three deposit schemes treat a check-in inventory signed by the tenant as much stronger evidence. An unsigned inventory is easy for a tenant to dispute.
No. In England the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans charging tenants for inventories and check-ins. The landlord or agent pays.
As soon as possible after the tenant returns the keys. mydeposits says check-outs are usually completed within two days of the tenant moving out.
Normal deterioration from everyday use. Adjudicators consider the length of the tenancy, the number and type of occupiers, and the age and quality of items at the start, and a landlord cannot claim betterment.