Check-in and check-out
The visits at the start and end of a tenancy where the home is inspected against the inventory, keys are handed over and meter readings are taken.
In short: At check-in the tenant and landlord, or an inventory clerk, go through the inventory together; at check-out the home is inspected again and differences are noted. The check-out report is the basis for any deposit deduction. Neither visit can be charged to the tenant in England.
DepositsTenancies and agreements
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
What usually happens:
- Check-in: confirm the inventory, record meter readings, hand over keys, test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms (a legal duty on the first day of a new tenancy), and give the tenant the safety certificates.
- Check-out: compare the condition room by room with the inventory, record meter readings, collect keys, and note anything beyond fair wear and tear.
Afterwards the landlord proposes any deductions to the tenant with the evidence; what cannot be agreed goes to the deposit scheme's dispute service. The agreed amount is returned within ten days.
Read more: Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
Related: Inventory and schedule of condition, Fair wear and tear, Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Where this comes from
Guides on this
Guide
The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
Guide
Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
Guide
Pet requests: you have to consider them
Since 1 May 2026 a tenant in England can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse. How the request works, what counts as reasonable, and what you can ask for in return.
Guide
How to protect a tenancy deposit, and what happens if you are late
Put the deposit in one of the three government schemes within 30 days and give the prescribed information. If late, the tenant can claim one to three times the deposit and most possession grounds close.
Related terms
Glossary
Inventory and schedule of condition
A dated record of what is in the home and the condition of each room and item at the start of a tenancy, usually with photos, signed by both sides.
Glossary
Assured periodic tenancy
The standard private tenancy in England since 1 May 2026: it rolls on month to month (or shorter) with no end date until the tenant or landlord ends it properly.
Glossary
Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
The usual private tenancy in England from 1997 until 30 April 2026. On 1 May 2026 existing ASTs became assured periodic tenancies and no new private ones can be made.
Glossary
Deposit cap
The most a landlord in England can take as a tenancy deposit: five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, six weeks' at £50,000 or more.
Glossary
Fair wear and tear
The normal deterioration of a home and its contents from ordinary, reasonable use over time. A landlord cannot deduct for it from the deposit.
Glossary
Holding deposit
A payment of up to one week's rent to reserve a home while the landlord checks an application. It must be returned or put towards the rent or deposit.