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How to do a move-out damage inspection

A tidy 20-minute check on move-out day prevents a deposit argument that can drag on for months. This guide is for both landlords and tenants; when both use the same method, there is usually nothing left to argue about.

Wear and tear, or damage?

Paint that fades over years is normal wear. A cracked tile, a holed door or parquet swollen by a leak is damage. To tell them apart you need to know the state on move-in day.

Move-out checklist

  1. Bring the move-in photos if you have them and shoot the same angles.
  2. In every room: four walls, floor, ceiling, windows and doors.
  3. Kitchen: inside cupboards, worktop, hob, hood, taps.
  4. Bathroom: tiles, grout, toilet, basin, shower, damp marks.
  5. Meters: electricity, water, gas, with readings visible.
  6. Keys, remotes and the inventory list.
  7. A short walk-through video of the whole home.

Prove the photos that day

Drop all photos the same day into the Handover pack on the File Proof page. The photos never leave your phone; only their fingerprints are anchored in Bitcoin. Email the pack list and .ots file to the other party the same day.

This is not a notarisation or a qualified timestamp; courts weigh it as supporting evidence. For large amounts, an official inspection may also be worth requesting.

Written by Gökhan Ertan, civil engineer and court-appointed expert witness.

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