Landlord Move-In Checklist: Deposits, Inventory and Compliance Explained

A tenancy rarely falls apart over the tenancy agreement. It falls apart at the deposit return, months later, when nobody can remember what the kitchen looked like on day one. The move-in stage is where you build the evidence that protects you, and where you set the tone for how the tenant treats the property. Get the sequence right and most arguments can be settled with a document rather than a debate.

Do the checks that must happen before the keys move

Some items cannot legally wait until the tenant has settled in, so start here. In England, complete Right to Rent checks on every adult who will live at the property and keep dated copies with the documents you used. Give the tenant the current version of the How to Rent guide rather than an old PDF saved on your desktop; it is updated periodically and you want the live one.

An Energy Performance Certificate must be provided free of charge before the tenancy starts. If the property needs a licence, whether an HMO licence or a selective licence from the council, it has to be in place before you take any rent. Then check the tenancy agreement itself: correct names, rent amount and payment date, term, deposit figure, notice periods, and who is responsible for what.

Scotland and Wales run their own rules on registration, licensing and deposits, so if you own across borders, work from the current guidance for each nation rather than assuming England's system applies.

Protecting the deposit: the 30-day clock

In England, a deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks above that. Once you receive it, you have 30 days to protect it and serve the prescribed information. Miss that window and a tenant can apply to the court for the deposit's return plus compensation of up to three times its value.

1. Choose a government-backed scheme: custodial, where the scheme holds the money, or insured, where you hold it and pay a fee.
2. Protect the deposit and note the certificate reference.
3. Serve the prescribed information within the same 30 days on the tenant and on anyone who paid the deposit on their behalf, such as a parent.
4. Keep proof: a copy of what you served, the date, and how it was delivered.
5. Record the deposit amount in both the tenancy agreement and the inventory so the figures never conflict.

If you take a holding deposit, it is capped at one week's rent in England and must be refunded or put towards rent or the deposit once the agreement is signed. This is general guidance rather than legal advice, and deposit rules differ across the UK, so check the current position or speak to a professional before relying on it.

Build an inventory that stands up months later

An inventory is not paperwork for its own sake. It is the reference point for every deposit deduction you might ever need to justify. Write it room by room, date it, and be specific. "Worn" tells a dispute adjudicator nothing; "three-inch scratch on the lower left of the front door, photographed" does.

• Photograph every room from two angles, plus close-ups of any existing damage, marks or chips.
• Record meter readings for gas, electricity and water on the day.
• Count keys, fobs and parking permits, and state how many you have handed over.
• Test appliances, the boiler, the shower, extractor fans, windows and locks, and note anything not working.
• List appliance make and model so replacements match later.
• Note the standard of cleanliness, including oven, fridge, bins and garden, and whether the property is furnished or unfurnished.

Ask the tenant to sign and date it. If they will not, record that in writing and give them a short window, a week is reasonable, to send back comments. A signed inventory that both sides have seen is worth far more than a perfect one the tenant never read.

Safety certificates and the compliance calendar

These are the documents that carry real consequences if they lapse, so diarise them well ahead and keep everything in one folder with expiry dates.

• Gas safety record: an annual check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give the record to new tenants before they move in, and to existing tenants within 28 days of each check.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report: typically every five years, and at the start of a new tenancy if the last one has expired or is not available. Supply a copy to the tenant.
• EPC: valid, and at the required minimum rating for the tenancy to be let.
• Alarms: a smoke alarm on each storey with living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or open fire.
• Furniture: upholstered items should carry fire safety labels; remove anything without one.
• Legionella: assess the risk and keep a simple written record of checks such as flushing unused outlets and confirming hot water temperatures.

Check-in day: a handover that takes twenty minutes

Meet at the property rather than posting keys through a letterbox. Walk the inventory together and agree the condition while everyone is standing in the room. Take the meter readings in front of the tenant. Hand over keys, count them aloud, and show where the stopcock, fuse box, boiler controls and alarm panel are.

Explain the practicalities that generate the most phone calls: bin collection day and bin store, parking arrangements, how to report a repair, and the date and method for rent. Leave a one-page welcome sheet with your contact details, the deposit scheme name, and the documents they should already have: gas record, EPC, EICR, How to Rent guide and prescribed information. Follow up with an email the same day summarising what was handed over, so there is a dated record.

A short pre-handover routine

The day before, do a final walk through the property and fix the small things that undermine a good handover: a dripping tap, a dead lightbulb, a bin that has not been emptied. Confirm your folder holds the signed inventory, the deposit certificate, the prescribed information, the certificates and the meter readings. Set reminders six weeks before each certificate expires, and again for the deposit scheme's annual confirmation.

One folder, one set of photos, one signed inventory. A tenancy that starts with clean paperwork is far easier to end well.

Photo: Thirdman / Pexels