What is an Inventory Check?
An inventory check is a formal inspection comparing a rental property's condition at move-out to the original move-in record.
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Definition
An inventory check (also called a checkout inspection) is a formal assessment of a rental property's condition when a tenant moves out. An independent clerk or letting agent compares the current state to the original move-in inventory to identify any changes or damage.
What gets checked
Inventory checks are thorough. Inspectors typically examine:
- Cleanliness of all rooms, surfaces, and fixtures
- Condition of walls, floors, and ceilings
- Kitchen appliances inside and out
- Bathroom fixtures and fittings
- Windows, doors, and handles
- Light fittings and switches
- Garden and outdoor areas
- All items listed in the original inventory
What it costs to pass an inventory check
A clean that meets inventory standard costs £75 to £250 in Derby, at £25 per hour, against a typical cleaning deduction of £150 to £300 if you fail. A three-bed house takes 4 to 5 hours.
- Studio or one-bed: 3 to 4 hours, £75 to £100
- Three-bed house: 4 to 5 hours, £100 to £125
- Photo cleaning report included as evidence for the clerk
- Free re-clean if the clerk flags an area we cleaned
Why inventory checks matter
The inventory check determines whether you get your full deposit back. Any discrepancies between the move-in and move-out condition can result in deductions.
Common reasons for deductions include:
- •Property not cleaned to the same standard as move-in
- •Damage beyond normal wear and tear
- •Missing items from the original inventory
- •Garden not maintained
Professional cleaning before the inventory check significantly reduces the risk of cleaning-related deductions.
The inventory check timeline
The inspection itself is short. What decides the outcome happens in the week before it, and in the ten days after it.
| Stage | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Read the check-in report | 2 weeks before | The check-out is judged against this document, not against how clean you think the property is. |
| Book the clean | 1 week before | Book for after the furniture is out. A three-bed takes 4 to 5 hours, so the property must be empty. |
| Clean and photograph | Final 1 to 2 days | Property cleaned empty, then every room photographed with a date on the file. |
| The inspection | Checkout day | Clerk walks the property with the check-in report, typically 30 to 90 minutes, and records differences. |
| Report issued | 1 to 5 days after | You receive the check-out report with any proposed deductions listed. |
| Deposit returned or disputed | 10 days after agreement | Agreed amounts must be returned within 10 days. Disputed amounts stay protected while the scheme adjudicates. |
Check-in inventory vs check-out inventory
They are the same document at two different moments. The check-in sets the standard, the check-out measures against it. If the check-in is vague or missing, a landlord has very little to base a deduction on.
| Check-in | Check-out | |
|---|---|---|
| When | On or just before the move-in date | After the furniture is out, on or near the last day |
| Purpose | Records the benchmark condition and contents | Records differences against that benchmark |
| Your job | Read it, add comments and photos within 7 to 14 days | Clean to the recorded standard and photograph it dated |
| Who pays | The landlord. Tenant fees are banned in England | The landlord |
| Consequence | Sets what you can be charged for later | Decides what comes out of the deposit |
Fair wear and tear, or damage?
Fair wear and tear is deterioration you would expect from someone living normally in the property for the length of the tenancy. A landlord cannot charge for it. Damage is different in kind rather than degree, and cleaning is neither, which is why it is the deduction people are caught out by most.
Usually wear and tear
- Carpet thinning in doorways and on the stairs
- Paint faded or marked from furniture over several years
- Small scuffs on skirting and door frames
- Hinges and handles loosening with use
- Worn sealant around a bath used daily
Usually chargeable
- Burns, tears, or pet staining and odour in carpet
- Mould from an unreported leak or unventilated bathroom
- Broken fittings, cracked glass, holes in walls
- Grease in the oven and extractor, limescale, general dirt
- Rubbish or belongings left in the property or garden
Adjudicators also apply apportionment. A carpet with a five-year life that is damaged in year four is not replaced at your cost, only the remaining value is. If a deduction ignores the age of the item, say so in writing when you dispute it.
Checklist: the items clerks flag most
Cleaning is the most common category of proposed deposit deduction in the UK. These are the places it is nearly always found.
- 1Inside the oven, including the door glass, the grill pan and the shelves.
- 2The extractor filter above the hob, which almost nobody remembers.
- 3Fridge and freezer seals, and the drip tray at the back.
- 4Limescale on taps, shower heads and the shower screen.
- 5Sealant and grout in the bathroom, especially any black spotting.
- 6Skirting boards, door frames, light switches and sockets.
- 7Window tracks, sills and the inside of the glass.
- 8Inside every cupboard and wardrobe, including the tops.
- 9The garden, the bins and any shed or outbuilding.
- 10Your own dated photographs of every room, taken on the day you hand the keys back.
Inventory checks: common questions
What do inventory clerks actually check?
Clerks check cleanliness of every room, the condition of walls, floors and ceilings, kitchen appliances inside and out, bathroom fixtures, windows, doors, handles, light fittings, outdoor areas, and every item listed in the original inventory. Ovens, extractor filters and window tracks are the usual failure points.
Can you fail an inventory check?
There is no formal pass or fail. The clerk records differences between the check-in and check-out condition, and the landlord or agent then proposes deductions from the deposit based on that report. Cleaning is the single most common category of proposed deduction in the UK.
How do you pass an inventory check?
Work from the original check-in report rather than from memory, clean to that recorded standard, and photograph everything on the day you leave with a timestamp. Pay particular attention to the oven, extractor, fridge seals, limescale, skirting boards and window tracks, which are the areas clerks always inspect.
What is the difference between a check-in and a check-out inventory?
The check-in inventory records the property's condition at the start of the tenancy and sets the benchmark. The check-out inventory records it at the end and is compared against that benchmark. Without a proper check-in record, a landlord has very little evidence to support a deduction.
What happens if you disagree with the inventory report?
The deposit stays protected in the scheme while the dispute runs. Raise the disagreement in writing with the agent first, then escalate to the deposit scheme's free adjudication service, providing your own dated photographs and any professional cleaning receipt as evidence.
What is an inventory check-in?
An inventory check-in is the appointment at the start of a tenancy where a clerk records the condition, cleanliness and contents of the property, room by room, with photographs and meter readings. You normally have 7 to 14 days to comment on it, and whatever it records becomes the standard you are judged against at the end.
How much does an inventory check cost and who pays?
A clerk's inventory typically costs £90 to £200 depending on property size and whether it is furnished, and the landlord pays for both the check-in and the check-out. Since the Tenant Fees Act 2019 a landlord in England cannot charge a tenant for inventory fees.
What counts as fair wear and tear at a check-out inventory?
Fair wear and tear is deterioration from normal living over the length of the tenancy: faded paint, thinning carpet in doorways, small scuffs on skirting, loosened hinges. Damage is different in kind, not degree: burns, pet staining, mould from unreported leaks, broken fittings, and dirt. Cleaning is never wear and tear, which is why it is the most common deduction.
How long does an inventory check take?
Between 30 and 90 minutes for a typical Derby home, longer for a furnished four-bed. The report usually lands one to five working days later, and any deposit amount you both agree on has to be returned within ten days of that agreement.
Cleaning to inventory standard in Derby
Derby Cleaners cleans rental properties to the standard inventory clerks inspect against, including the oven, extractor, fridge seals, limescale, skirting boards and window tracks. £25 per hour, products included, with a photo cleaning report you can send to your agent.
Have questions?
We are happy to help. Call us or send an enquiry and we will get back to you.