Tenant Move-In Checklist

Paperwork before the keys

• Signed rent agreement in your hand, with every page initialled
• Receipt for the security deposit, stating the amount and that it is a deposit
• Receipt for any advance rent paid
• Landlord’s name, phone number and address recorded
• Confirmation of who to contact for repairs, and how
• What the rent includes, and what is billed separately, written down
• Date rent is due each month and the payment method agreed

Photograph and record

Photograph with the date visible on the phone and keep the originals, not screenshots.

• Every room, wide shot from each corner
• Every wall that has a mark, stain, crack or repair
• Floor and skirting in each room, especially near the bathroom and kitchen
• Ceiling corners and the wall below every window for seepage marks
• Inside every cupboard and wardrobe
• Kitchen platform, sink, chimney and any fitted appliance
• Every bathroom: tiles, fittings, mirror, geyser, taps and drainage
• Balcony floor, railing and grille
• Main door, every internal door, and the condition of locks and handles

Test, do not assume

• Every light switch and every ceiling fan, one by one
• Every power socket with a phone charger
• Geyser in each bathroom, for hot water and for leaks
• All taps and the flush in each bathroom
• Drainage: fill and empty each sink and check the floor trap
• Water pressure, and the supply hours from the society or corporation
• Inverter or backup, and what it runs
• Air conditioners, if provided, on cooling for ten minutes
• Window and door locks, and any grille latch
• Doorbell and intercom

Meters and inventory

• Electricity meter reading, photographed with the meter number visible
• Water meter reading, where separately metered
• Gas connection: piped meter reading, or the cylinder and its regulator
• Number of keys received for each lock, and for the main gate
• Parking tag, sticker or fob, and the bay number
• Inventory of furniture and appliances provided, with condition noted against each
• Curtains, rods, mosquito mesh and any fitting that is expected back

Building and society

• Society rules that apply to tenants, in writing if they exist
• Whether tenants may use the amenities, and any charge
• Restrictions on moving in and out, and the hours permitted
• Waste collection timing and where the bins are
• Water supply schedule and any tanker arrangement
• Whom to call for a lift or common area problem
• Whether police verification has been filed, and by whom

Close the loop

• Write the defect list and send it to the landlord the same day
• Send the photographs with it, on a channel that keeps a timestamp
• Ask for written acknowledgement, and keep the reply
• Agree in writing which defects the landlord will fix, and by when
• Keep everything in one folder with the agreement