Check-out
The check-out, read against the check-in.
At the end of a tenancy the question is simple: what has changed since the tenant moved in, and who is responsible for it. The check-out report answers it line by line, against the check-in record.
How each change is assessed
Every difference given a cause- Fair wear and tear
- Deterioration from ordinary use over the length of the tenancy. A landlord cannot deduct for it, so it is separated out first.
- Damage
- Harm beyond ordinary use, recorded with the photograph and the check-in line it is compared against.
- Cleaning
- Where the property is less clean than it was at check-in.
- Missing items
- Anything on the inventory that is no longer there.
- Landlord repairs
- Items that have failed through age rather than use, which remain the landlord’s to put right.
- Meters and keys
- Closing readings photographed, and every key counted back against the check-in list.
An example
How one line of a check-out readsAn illustration of the format, not a real property. Living room carpet. At check-in: beige twist pile carpet, clean, no marks, photographed. At check-out: a red stain about 10 cm across in front of the sofa, and the pile flattened along the route from the door.
Assessed: the stain is damage, shown with its photograph beside the check-in line. The flattening is fair wear and tear from ordinary use over the tenancy, so it is recorded but not attributed to the tenant.
The report records what changed and why. It does not set the amount of any deduction: that is agreed between landlord and tenant, or decided by the deposit scheme if they cannot agree.
Timing
Book when notice is givenSince 1 May 2026, tenancies in England no longer end on a fixed date, so check-outs arrive when notice is given rather than in a predictable wave. The best time for the visit is the last day of the tenancy, or the morning after, before any cleaner or contractor goes in.
More on this in check-out reports now that no tenancy ends on a fixed date, and on deductions in fair wear and tear, and what an adjudicator asks.
Price
No VAT to add| Property | Unfurnished | Furnished |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | £90 | £110 |
| 1 bedroom | £100 | £120 |
| 2 bedroom | £120 | £140 |
| 3 bedroom | £130 | £150 |
| 4 bedroom | £150 | £170 |
| 5 bedroom | £180 | £190 |
| 6 bedroom | £200 | £210 |
| 7 bedroom | £220 | £230 |
| 8 bedroom | £240 | £250 |
| 9 bedrooms or more | Quoted on request | |
Extra rooms, short notice and other charges are on the full price list.
FAQs
Asked about the check-out.
What if there was no check-in report?
The check-out still records the condition on the last day, with photographs. Without a check-in there is nothing to compare it against, so any deduction becomes much harder to support.
Should the tenant attend?
They are welcome to, and it often helps: both sides see the same thing at the same time.
How is a check-out report used in a deposit dispute?
If landlord and tenant cannot agree the deductions, the deposit protection scheme can decide the dispute on the evidence. The landlord has to show each deduction is justified, and the clearest evidence is a check-in and a check-out that describe the same items in the same way, with dated photographs.
Does the report decide how much is deducted?
No. It records each change and its cause. The amount is agreed between landlord and tenant, or decided by the scheme if they cannot agree.
What is delivered after a check-out?
A signed PDF within 3 hours of the visit, with every change listed against its check-in line and assessed as wear and tear, damage, cleaning, a missing item or a landlord repair.
Is the price the same across London?
Yes. One price list covers every London postcode.
Other inventory services
One clerk, every report a tenancy needs.
Book the visit. Read the report the same day.
Monday to Saturday, in every London postcode, with the report written on site and delivered within 3 hours of the visit.