Evidence and documents
No check-in inventory? How that helps your deposit dispute
A missing or unsigned check-in inventory weakens the landlord's evidence — they must prove condition at the start, not assume you caused every defect. Use your own move-in photos, emails and messages to build the baseline they failed to record.
What to do when there was no proper check-in report — how missing inventories shift the evidence burden and how tenants can still win deposit disputes.
Many tenants move in without a detailed, signed inventory — or receive a generic template days later that nobody checked room by room. When deductions arrive, landlords still quote check-out reports as gospel. A weak or absent check-in record does not mean you lose. It often means the landlord must work harder to prove deterioration was your fault.
Why check-in records matter in disputes
Deposit disputes are comparison exercises: condition at start vs end, plus who caused any change. Without a reliable check-in baseline, the landlord's check-out descriptions stand on shakier ground — especially for cleaning, wear, and pre-existing marks.
- No inventory at all before or shortly after move-in
- Inventory you never signed or were not present for
- Blank or "good condition throughout" with no photos
- Check-in done years ago with no updates after improvements or damage
- Different property layout or items than listed
What you can use instead of a formal inventory
- 1Your move-in photos and videos
Dated pictures of each room, oven, carpets, windows — even if taken on day one yourself.
- 2Emails when you reported defects
Mould, broken blinds, stained carpet — shows issues existed early.
- 3Messages with the agent
WhatsApp or text asking for repairs; screenshots with dates visible.
- 4Previous tenant reviews or listings
Sometimes weak, but occasional proof of pre-existing wear (use cautiously).
Unsigned inventories — do they count?
An unsigned inventory is better for the landlord than nothing, but you can still challenge inaccuracies. If you disagreed at the time or never received it, say so. If you added comments on a paper copy, reference those annotations.
How this differs from disputing check-out reports
Check-out disputes focus on correcting specific end-of-tenancy descriptions. This guide focuses on the missing start-of-tenancy baseline — a different evidence gap that helps across cleaning, damage, and carpet claims. Use both arguments if check-out entries are wrong and check-in was never properly recorded.
Building your baseline after the fact
- Gather any move-in dated media you still have
- List defects you reported in year one
- Note tenancy length — longer tenancies imply more wear
- Challenge deductions that assume pristine check-in
- Ask landlord to produce the signed check-in they rely on
Common questions
Is the landlord required to provide a check-in inventory?
Best practice strongly expects it; disputes are harder for landlords without one. Exact obligations can depend on contract and circumstances — focus on what evidence actually exists.
I have no move-in photos — am I stuck?
Not necessarily. Use repair requests, messages, tenancy length, and challenge their missing proof. Outcomes vary — but landlords still need to justify deductions.
They produced an inventory after I moved in
Note the delay. Challenge items you dispute and anything inconsistent with how you found the property.
Will the scheme automatically side with me?
No guarantee. Missing check-in helps your position but you still need organised evidence and clear written responses.
Ready to build your dispute pack?
Answer a few questions, upload evidence, and generate a structured response for £29 before you send it.