The tenant move-in checklist: document everything on day one

Most deposit deductions come down to one question: what condition was the property in when you moved in? Landlords and agents have their own records — inventories, check-in reports, inspection photos. This guide is about building your independent record in the first 24–72 hours, so that if there's ever a dispute over cleaning, damage or redecoration, you have dated evidence instead of memory.

The golden rule: evidence can't be created after the fact. Photos taken at move-out only prove the end condition. You need the start condition too — and you can only capture it now.

Step 1 — The paperwork check

Before taking a single photo, confirm what you have. The core set:

• Tenancy agreement — signed copy, all pages
• Inventory / check-in report — if provided, read it line by line. Most inventories give you a limited window, often around 7 days, to add comments. Don't miss it.
• Deposit protection certificate — in England your deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme (TDS, DPS or mydeposits) within 30 days of payment
• Prescribed information — the official document naming the scheme that holds your deposit and how disputes work
• Gas safety certificate (if the property has gas) and the Energy Performance Certificate
• Landlord or agent contact details in writing

If the deposit certificate or prescribed information hasn't arrived within 30 days of paying your deposit, ask for them in writing and keep the request. Since 1 May 2026, most new and existing tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act — but deposit protection works the same way.

Step 2 — The ten photo rules

The difference between "some photos" and usable evidence is method, not equipment:

1. Shoot everything in one session where possible — same date on every file.
2. Keep the originals. Don't edit, crop or filter — original files carry hidden date data (EXIF) that supports your timeline.
3. Wide shot first, then close-ups. One photo from the doorway showing the whole room, then details.
4. Same order every time: door → walls → floor → ceiling → windows → fixtures. Repeat the exact order at move-out for perfect before/after pairs.
5. Turn on the lights and open the curtains. Dark photos prove nothing.
6. Photograph the clean and the dirty. A spotless oven at move-in is evidence for you. A stained carpet at move-in is also evidence for you.
7. Get close to existing damage — every scratch, stain, chip or mark: close-up plus a wider shot showing where it sits in the room.
8. Record one continuous video walkthrough (2–5 minutes), narrating as you go: "Move-in video, [address], [date]".
9. Back up the same day — cloud storage plus one other location.
10. Email a copy to yourself. The email timestamp is independent proof of when the photos existed.

Step 3 — Where disputes actually start

You don't need equal coverage everywhere. Two rooms generate a disproportionate share of deductions:

Kitchen — the top dispute category

• Oven — inside, including racks and door glass
• Worktops, full length, with close-ups of burns, cuts and stains
• Inside every cupboard and drawer; under the sink (leaks, damp)
• Fridge/freezer and washing machine — seals, drawers, drum

Bathroom — where mould and limescale claims begin

• Silicone seals and grout, close up — existing mould or discolouration must be photographed now
• Taps, plugholes and shower screens (limescale close-ups)
• Ceiling corners — condensation marks and mould spots
• Extractor fan — present and working? Note it.

Then the rest: every room wide-shot plus walls, floors, windows; mattresses both sides in furnished lets; every meter with the reading legible; the full key set laid out in one photo.

Step 4 — The defects log and the dated email

List everything damaged, worn, stained or missing — however small — with a photo reference for each. Then send it to your landlord or agent as a move-in notes email within your inventory comment window. Something like:

"Having gone through the property, I'd like to put the following condition notes on record: 1. Kitchen — burn mark on worktop next to hob (photo attached). 2. Bathroom — existing black marks on silicone around bath. These items pre-date our tenancy."

This does two things at once: it puts your observations on the record with a date, and it gives the landlord a fair chance to fix genuine problems. Save the sent email and any reply.

Step 5 — Back it up and forget about it

• Everything into one cloud folder: [Address] — Move-in — [Date]
• Documents (agreement, inventory, deposit certificate) in the same folder
• Email the set to yourself — a second, independent timestamp
• Set a calendar reminder for 4 weeks before tenancy end: that's when the move-out checklist starts

Done properly, this is an afternoon's work that you'll hopefully never need — and the single strongest position a tenant can be in if a dispute ever comes.

Common questions

When should I take my move-in photos?

In your first 24–72 hours, before you unpack if possible. The point of move-in evidence is the date: photos taken weeks later prove much less about the condition you received. Shoot everything in one session so every file carries the same date.

What if I was never given an inventory or check-in report?

Build your own record anyway — photos of every room, a video walkthrough, and a dated email to the landlord listing existing defects. If there is later a dispute, the landlord still has to prove the check-in condition; your dated record may end up being the best evidence either side has.

Is the move-in notes email legally required?

No. It is simply the cheapest insurance available: it puts the property’s condition on the record with an independent date stamp, and gives the landlord a fair chance to fix genuine problems. Most inventories also give you a limited window — often around 7 days — to add comments, and the email covers that.

How quickly must my deposit be protected?

In England your landlord or agent must put your deposit into a government-approved scheme — TDS, DPS or mydeposits — within 30 days of receiving it, and give you the prescribed information telling you which scheme holds it. If neither arrives, ask for them in writing and keep the request.

Do move-in photos really make a difference in deposit disputes?

Dated before/after pairs are among the strongest evidence a scheme adjudicator can receive. Deductions for cleaning, damage or redecoration all turn on one question — what condition was the property in at the start? — and dated day-one photos answer it directly.

Related guides

• The move-out checklist: cleaning, evidence and your deposit
• How to dispute deposit deductions in England
• The Renters' Rights Act 2026: what changed for tenants

RentDossier publishes document-organisation tools and general information for tenants in England — not legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed in any deposit or tenancy dispute. For advice on a specific situation, contact Shelter, Citizens Advice or a solicitor. Sources: GOV.UK — Tenancy deposit protection, GOV.UK — Renters' Rights Act: overview for tenants.