Inventory template & example, room by room

A good inventory is detailed, dated and signed. Here is what one actually looks like — a worked example for each room and a numbered structure you can copy for your own property.

UK (England & Wales focus) · Updated 2026

What a good inventory looks like

A good inventory is a detailed record of the property's contents and condition at the start of the tenancy — sometimes called a schedule of condition or check-in report. It is not a statutory requirement in England and Wales, but it is the single most important piece of evidence if the deposit is disputed at the end. The more specific it is, the more it protects both landlord and tenant.

Whatever format you use, a complete report contains the same building blocks:

• Header and parties: property address, names of landlord (or letting agent) and tenant(s), the tenancy start date and the date of inspection.
• Room-by-room condition: every room and space, each described item by item — walls, ceiling, floor, paintwork, doors, windows, fixtures, furniture and cleanliness.
• Meter readings: gas, electricity and water (if metered), with the reading, the meter serial number and a dated photo of the display.
• Keys: the number and type of keys, fobs and remotes handed over.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: location and whether each was tested and working at check-in.
• Dated photos: clear, dated images of each room and of any existing marks or damage.
• Signatures: dated signatures from both parties, after the tenant has had a chance to review and comment.

Room-by-room example with condition wording

Each entry below shows the level of detail to aim for. Notice the pattern: location, item, condition, extent. "Marked" is too vague to defend; "two small scuffs near the radiator, approximately 3 cm each" is not.

Living room

• Walls: magnolia emulsion, good condition; north wall — two small scuffs near the radiator, approximately 3 cm each.
• Ceiling: white, clean, no cracks.
• Floor: oak-effect laminate, light wear in front of the sofa, otherwise good.
• Windows: double-glazed, both open and close, latches working; curtains clean and undamaged.
• Cleanliness: professionally cleaned, no marks.

Kitchen (including appliances)

• Worktops & units: laminate worktops, good condition; one small chip to the edge beside the sink.
• Oven & hob: Bosch electric oven (model and serial noted), clean, all four hob rings working.
• Fridge-freezer: Beko, clean, cold and working, no dents.
• Washing machine: Hotpoint, working, drum clean, no leaks observed.
• Sink & taps: stainless steel, no limescale, taps run hot and cold, no drips.
• Flooring: vinyl, clean, no tears or burns.

Bathroom

• Bath/shower: white acrylic bath, good condition; shower runs hot and cold, no leaks; sealant clean, no mould.
• Basin & WC: white, no cracks or chips, flush working.
• Tiles & grout: clean, grout intact, no missing tiles.
• Extractor fan: present and working.

Bedroom

• Walls & ceiling: light grey emulsion, good condition, no marks.
• Carpet: grey, light tread marks (fair wear and tear), no stains.
• Wardrobe: built-in, doors and rails intact, runs smoothly.
• Windows: double-glazed, blinds present and undamaged.

Hallway and stairs

• Walls: white, minor scuffing at skirting level along the stairs (fair wear and tear).
• Stairs & banister: carpeted, fixed and secure, no loose spindles.
• Smoke alarm: mains-wired alarm on each storey, tested and working.

Outside and garage

• Garden: lawn cut, beds tidy, fence panels intact.
• Garage/shed: empty, swept, door opens and locks; one window pane cracked (existing).
• Bins: two wheelie bins present, undamaged.

A numbered structure you can copy

Use this as the skeleton for your own report. Keep the headings and fill each line with specific, observable detail rather than one-word verdicts.

1. Property & parties — address, landlord/agent, tenant(s), tenancy start date, inspection date.
2. General notes — furnished or unfurnished, overall cleanliness, decoration age if known.
3. Each room — walls, ceiling, floor, doors, windows, fixtures, furniture, cleanliness (one block per room, as above).
4. Kitchen appliances — make, model, condition and working order of each.
5. Meter readings — gas, electricity, water; reading, serial number, dated photo.
6. Keys — number and type of each set handed over.
7. Safety — smoke alarm per storey and carbon monoxide alarm where there is a fixed combustion appliance; tested and working.
8. Photo index — list of dated photos per room and per item of damage.
9. Comments — space for the tenant to note anything they disagree with.
10. Signatures — both parties, dated.

Empty template vs completed report

People often ask for a blank template to download. The honest answer: an empty template is only the framework — and even an empty template must be detailed. A list of bare headings ("Kitchen", "Bedroom") invites one-word answers that are useless when a deposit is contested. What protects you is the completed check-in report: specific wording for each item, dated photos, readings and signatures.

That is the gap KeySwap fills. Rather than typing condition lines into a blank page, you walk the property taking photos; the AI drafts the room-by-room report from those photos, you review and adjust the wording, and both parties sign. The result is a PDF with photos and signatures, in about five minutes. You can still copy the numbered structure above if you prefer to do it by hand — there is no special downloadable file you must obtain first.

Common mistakes

• Vague wording. "Good", "fine" or "OK" cannot be defended at check-out. Always state location, item, condition and extent.
• Confusing damage with fair wear and tear. Light carpet tread marks and minor scuffs are normal use and are not deductible; record them, but do not treat them as damage.
• No dated photos. Written notes without images are weak evidence. Photograph each room, every existing mark, the meters and the alarms.
• Forgetting meters, keys and alarms. These belong in the inventory, not a separate scrap of paper.
• No signatures. An unsigned, undated report carries little weight. Give the tenant a chance to comment, then both parties sign and date it.
• One photo of a whole room. Close-ups of damage matter more than a single wide shot.

For the full walk-through of how check-in and check-out fit together, see the complete UK inventory guide, and use the room-by-room checklist so nothing is missed.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a downloadable inventory template I can use?

There is no single official template you must use, and an inventory is not a statutory requirement in England and Wales. You can copy the numbered structure on this page and adapt it to your property. The key is detail: record every room, surface and item with its condition, add dated photos, and have both parties sign and date it. With KeySwap, the AI drafts the report from your photos, so you do not start from a blank page.

What is the difference between an empty template and a completed report?

An empty template is the blank structure — the rooms and headings — that you fill in. A completed report records the actual condition of each item on a given date, with photos and signatures. An empty template must still be detailed: vague headings like ‘kitchen: OK’ are nearly useless in a deposit dispute. The completed check-in report is the evidence; the empty template is only the framework.

How detailed should the condition wording be?

Describe what you can actually see, with location and extent. Instead of ‘wall marked’, write ‘living room, north wall: two small scuffs near the radiator, approximately 3 cm each’. Note make, model and working order for appliances, record meter readings and serial numbers, and list keys handed over. Specific wording, backed by a dated photo, is far harder to dispute at check-out.

Do I need to photograph everything?

Photograph anything that could later be disputed: each room as a whole, existing marks or damage, appliances, meter displays, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and the keys. Photos should be dated and clear. A written description plus a dated photo is the strongest combination, and it is exactly what a deposit scheme's free dispute resolution will look at.

Who signs the inventory and when?

Both the landlord (or letting agent) and the tenant should sign and date the inventory at check-in, after the tenant has had a reasonable chance to review and comment on it. The tenant cannot be forced to sign, but should keep a signed copy. An agreed, signed and dated report carries far more weight than an unsigned one.

Does a more detailed inventory really help with the deposit?

Yes. The inventory is the key evidence when a deposit is disputed. A detailed check-in report, compared against the check-out report, lets the scheme's adjudicator tell fair wear and tear from damage. Without it, a landlord struggles to justify deductions and a tenant struggles to challenge them, so the detail directly protects the deposit.