Property Inventory Template: Free Printable Check-In Form

When a deposit dispute reaches an adjudicator, one document decides most of them: the inventory — the signed, dated record of the property's condition at check-in. The template below covers everything a proper inventory records, and it prints blank for the walk-through.

It protects both directions: the tenant against paying for damage that pre-dates them, the landlord against damage that doesn't.

How to complete it so it actually protects you

Do it together if you can. An inventory walked through by both sides, agreed line by line, is almost impossible to dispute later. Where that isn't practical, one side completes it and the other gets seven days to add comments — note the arrangement on the document.

Photograph liberally, describe specifically. "Carpet worn in doorway, 10cm pale patch" beats "carpet OK-ish". Every mark that exists at check-in is a mark nobody pays for at check-out — which is precisely why thorough inventories serve tenants best of all.

Don't skip the boring rows. Meter readings (photographed), keys counted, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested and noted — these rows settle billing rows and safety questions before they start.

At the end of the tenancy the same document runs in reverse: check-out is a comparison against check-in, fair wear and tear excluded. If the deposit conversation goes wrong anyway, the deposit return letter is the next step, and for landlords, a clean inventory is half of finding and keeping good tenants.

Frequently asked questions

What should a property inventory include?

Every room's walls, floors, windows, doors, fixtures and contents with condition notes; meter readings; keys and fobs counted; alarms tested; garden and outbuildings where relevant — signed and dated by both parties, with photos.

Who does the inventory — landlord or tenant?

Either can prepare it (landlords usually do, sometimes via a professional clerk), but its strength comes from both sides reviewing and signing it. Tenants should never skip the review — it is their protection too.

Are photos enough without a written inventory?

Photos alone lack the agreed descriptions and signatures that adjudicators lean on. The strong version is both: written record plus date-stamped photos referenced in it.

How detailed does an inventory need to be?

Detailed enough that a stranger could match each entry to what they see. Specific descriptions with measurements and locations carry far more weight than general condition ratings.

General information only, not financial or legal advice. Templates are a starting point — adjust them to your situation, and take advice where the stakes justify it.