The hour before you unpack is worth more than every other hour of your tenancy. It is the only time you can prove what the property looked like before you lived in it — and that proof is what decides whether a deduction sticks a year later.
This is how to run the inspection yourself: what to look for, what to photograph, in what order, and how to send it so it counts as a record.
Do It Before Anything Comes Through the Door
An empty property photographs honestly. A property with three boxes and a sofa in it does not, and every mark you fail to capture becomes a mark you might be charged for.
Three rules make the whole thing usable as evidence:
- Empty rooms only. Do the full pass before the van is unloaded.
- Every photo timestamped. Your phone does this automatically, and the date is the point. If you want it visible, include a phone screen or a newspaper in one wide shot per room.
- Send it the same day. A folder on your phone is a private record. An email to the landlord on day one is a shared, dated record — and that is what settles arguments.
The two-shot method: one wide shot of the whole room from the doorway, then a close-up of every single defect. The wide shot proves where the close-up was taken. Without it, a close-up of a scuff could be from anywhere.
What to Look For, Room by Room
Walk clockwise from the door of each room so you do not miss a wall.
Every room
- Walls — scuffs, holes, old picture hooks, patched paint that does not match
- Ceilings — water stains and cracks, especially in corners and under bathrooms
- Floors — carpet stains and worn patches; chips, scratches and loose boards on hard floors
- Baseboards and door frames — dents, chips, gaps
- Doors — do they close and latch, are handles loose
- Windows — do they open, do they lock, condensation between panes, damaged sills
- Every light switch and socket — cracked plates, and test each one works
- Blinds and curtain rails — missing slats, bent rails
Kitchen
- Inside the oven, the grill pan, the stovetop and the range hood filter
- Inside the fridge and freezer, including seals and drawers
- Inside every cabinet and drawer, and the runners
- Countertops — burns, chips, water damage at joints
- Under the sink — run the faucets for a minute and look for a leak. This is the most commonly missed check
- Dishwasher and washing machine — run a short cycle if you can
Bathroom
- Grout and sealant — mould, gaps, discolouration
- Water pressure and how long hot water takes
- Toilet — flush it, check for movement at the base
- Range hood — does it actually run
- Cracks in the bath, basin, tiles or shower tray
- Under the basin for leaks
Systems and safety
- Heating — turn it on, even in summer, and check every radiator warms
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms — press the test button on each
- Meters — photograph opening readings for electricity, gas and water
- Locate the stopcock, the fuse box and the boiler
- Outside spaces — balcony, patio, garage, trash cans, any storage that comes with the property
What to Write Down, Not Just Photograph
Photos show condition. They do not show what did not work. Note in writing:
- Anything that does not function — a socket, a window that will not lock, a radiator that stays cold
- Meter readings, with the date
- How many keys, fobs and remotes you received
- Anything the landlord promised to fix or replace, with the date they said it would happen
- The date and time you did the inspection
Put it on the official form where one exists — the move-in / move-out checklist template is the same form used at the end of the tenancy, which is exactly why the two comparisons are so hard to argue with.
How to Send It So It Counts
An inspection that stays on your phone protects nobody. Do this on day one:
- Email it. Attach the photos or a shared link, plus the completed form. Email creates a dated record with a sender and a recipient.
- Ask for acknowledgement. One line back from the landlord confirming receipt is worth a great deal later.
- Check your lease for a deadline. Many leases require the condition report within 3, 7 or 14 days. Missing it can mean the property is deemed accepted as-is.
- Keep your own copy somewhere that is not only your phone.
- Report faults separately and formally rather than mentioning them in the same email — our guide on submitting a maintenance request explains how to create a record that is easy to follow up.
If your landlord uses My Rental Spot: the condition report and photos upload straight into the tenant portal, timestamped and visible to both sides. No email chain to dig up, no question about when it was sent, and the same record is there on the day you move out.
Normal Wear or Damage? Know the Difference Now
Photographing everything only helps if you know what matters. Roughly:
- Normal wear — faded paint, lightly worn carpet on walking routes, small nail holes, minor scuffs on baseboards. Not chargeable.
- Damage — burns, deep gouges, cracked tiles, torn carpet, pet damage, holes in walls. Chargeable.
- Cleaning — grease, hard water buildup, stains a product removes. Chargeable, and the most common deduction of all.
Where exactly the line falls varies by state and by how long the tenancy ran. What never varies is that a documented starting condition is what the comparison is made against. Our move-out cleaning checklist covers what gets inspected at the other end.
Move-In Inspection Questions
How long should a move-in inspection take?
Forty-five minutes to an hour for a one-bedroom, done properly. Longer if you test every appliance, which you should.
What if the landlord does not provide a form?
Use your own and send it anyway. A dated email with photos and a written list is a record whether or not it is on their letterhead.
How many photos is enough?
Twenty-five to fifty for a one-bedroom is normal: a wide shot per room, plus a close-up of every defect and every appliance interior. Storage is cheap; disputes are not.
What if I find something broken after I have moved in?
Report it in writing immediately. The longer the gap between moving in and reporting, the easier it is to attribute to you.
Do I need to do this if the property is brand new?
Yes. New properties have snags, and a new-build finish is exactly the standard you will be held to when you leave.
What is the single most important photo?
The wide shot of each empty room. It is the one that proves the state of the whole space on a specific date, and it is the one people forget while photographing individual marks.
