End-of-Tenancy Checklist for Landlords
From notice to deposit return, the steps and records that make the end of a tenancy smooth, and the evidence you will need if the deposit is disputed.
The end of a tenancy is where good records pay off or poor ones cost you. Notice periods, the check-out, the deposit and final bills all have to be handled in the right order, and any disagreement about the deposit will be decided on the evidence you gathered. This checklist runs from the moment notice is given to the day you close the file. Notice rules, deposit deadlines and permitted deductions vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the local requirements at each step.
When notice is given
- Record the notice: who gave it, how, on what date, and the end date it specifies. Check it is valid under the tenancy agreement and local law.
- Acknowledge it in writing and confirm the end date and next steps.
- Diary the key dates: pre-check-out visit, check-out, key return, deposit deadline.
- Pull out the check-in inventory and photos now, not on the day. If they are missing or thin, you want to know early.
Two to four weeks before
- Offer a pre-check-out visit so the tenant knows what condition you expect, and note what you point out.
- Send a move-out guide: cleaning standard, what to leave (keys, fobs, remotes), meter readings, forwarding address.
- Arrange viewings if you are re-letting, with the notice required under the agreement.
Check-out day
- Inspect against the check-in inventory, room by room, in the same order.
- Photograph everything, matching the check-in photo angles where possible, with the date recorded.
- Read the meters and photograph each reading.
- Collect and count keys, and note what is missing.
- Get the tenant's forwarding address in writing.
- Note anything the tenant says about damage or condition, in their words.
After the tenant leaves
- Notify utility providers and any local authority of the change of occupier and the final readings.
- Compare condition against check-in, allowing for fair wear and tear given the length of the tenancy.
- Get quotes or invoices for any deduction you intend to make, and keep them.
- Propose deductions in writing, itemised, with the evidence for each, and invite the tenant's response.
- Return the deposit, or the undisputed part, within the deadline that applies, and record the date and method.
If the deposit is disputed
Whoever decides a dispute will compare the check-in record with the check-out record. Without a detailed, dated check-in inventory, deductions are very hard to justify. Keep everything together: the inventory, both sets of photos, correspondence, quotes, invoices and your notes of calls. A clear, dated record of each conversation, see how to log a phone call properly, often matters as much as the photos.
Closing the file
Record the final outcome: deposit returned, any deductions agreed, any open issues. Then set a retention date for the tenancy file and delete what you no longer need, including leftover screening documents, as covered in tenant screening records.
