Landlord Inventory and Schedule of Condition Template
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A detailed inventory and schedule of condition. Room-by-room walk-through, every fixture and fitting, condition ratings, meter readings, and a signature block. The single biggest determinant of whether you win or lose a deposit dispute. Build it and preview it free.
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When you need this document
Most landlords who lose deposit disputes don’t lose because the tenant was right — they lose because they have no evidence of the property’s condition at move-in. Without a detailed inventory and schedule of condition, the adjudicator has nothing to compare the checkout against, and the decision goes in the tenant’s favour.
This template produces the inventory you need for every new tenancy. It walks room by room, lists every fixture and fitting, captures condition ratings (excellent / good / fair / damaged / missing), records meter readings, and includes a signature block where both parties confirm the condition at move-in. It also supports embedded photos referenced by an image ID, so the inventory and the photo set form a coherent evidence pack.
Use it for every new tenancy without exception. Even a tenancy you expect to be straightforward can end with a disputed deduction — and the cost of a comprehensive inventory at move-in is an hour of your time. The cost of not having one can be the full deposit.
Who needs this document
- You are taking a deposit at all
- Without a check-in schedule there is nothing to compare the check-out against, and the adjudicator will resolve the gap in the tenant’s favour.
- The property is let furnished
- Every item you expect back has to be listed with its condition. An unlisted item is, for evidential purposes, an item you cannot claim for.
- You are ending a tenancy and expect deductions
- The check-out is the second half of the same document. A check-out with no matching check-in proves only that something is damaged, not that the tenant did it.
- You want a defensible record without paying an inventory clerk
- A dated self-made schedule with photographs, given to the tenant with a window to comment, carries more weight than a professional one the tenant never saw.
Mistakes that invalidate it
The errors that turn a document you thought was compliant into one that gives you nothing.
Recording condition as "good" throughout
A blanket rating is treated as no rating. Specific descriptions of existing marks and wear are what make the later comparison credible.
Undated or unattributed photographs
A photograph with no date proves nothing about when the damage occurred, which is the only question in dispute.
Never giving the tenant a copy
An inventory the tenant had no chance to challenge carries very little weight, however thorough it is.
Omitting meter readings and key counts
Both are routinely disputed at the end and both are trivial to record at the start.
Claiming full replacement cost for a part-worn item
Betterment. Adjudicators apportion for remaining life, and an inflated claim often reduces what you recover on the rest.
What’s included
- Room-by-room walkthrough with every fixture and fitting
- Five-point condition rating (excellent / good / fair / damaged / missing)
- Meter readings (gas / electricity / water)
- Tenant signature block for move-in confirmation
- Key and fob count tracker
- PDF or DOCX export ready for checkout comparison
RRA 2025 context
Used in both England and Scotland — the document is the same. Deposit dispute adjudicators on both sides of the border apply the same evidential standard: detailed, dated, photographed move-in record + dated checkout comparison + itemised deduction breakdown with quotes or invoices. Without a move-in inventory, the burden of proof on the landlord is essentially impossible to discharge.
In Scotland the dispute is run by one of the three approved schemes (SafeDeposits Scotland / mydeposits Scotland / LPS Scotland). In England by the DPS, mydeposits, or TDS. Process differs slightly between schemes but the evidence the adjudicator wants is the same in every case.
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View templateFrequently asked questions
Do I have to get the tenant to sign the inventory?
Do I need to photograph everything?
How is "wear and tear" treated at adjudication?
What’s "betterment" and why does it matter?
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Sources
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