Your first week
Moving-in checklist for tenants
Use this checklist for the week you get the keys: the readings, photographs and documents that are easy to collect now and impossible to reconstruct when you leave.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026
Free 4-page blank worksheet for keys, meter readings, inventory evidence and dates to confirm. Print it or fill it in on your device. Ticks on this page are not included.
Ticks stay on this page only. They reset when you reload or leave.
Property:
Move-in date:
Landlord or agent:
Deposit scheme:
On this page
Check the rules where you rent
This is a practical UK-wide checklist, not legal advice. Tenancy type, joint-tenancy status and whether the home is in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland can change your rights and notice requirements. Lodgers, student accommodation and social housing can follow different rules too.
Before you collect the keys
The paperwork is easiest to sort out while the agent still needs something from you.
Keys, access and security
Count what you are given on the day. It is the list you will be asked to return.
Meters and utilities
Do this on day one, before you use anything. It is the cheapest hour of the tenancy.
Safety, alarms and certificates
Requirements depend on the nation, tenancy type and property. Confirm what applies and request missing documents in writing.
Photograph the condition
Take far more than feels necessary. This is the record you will argue a deposit deduction against.
The inventory and your first report
Confirm when comments are requested. Keep your own evidence and send corrections promptly; do not assume silence makes an inventory conclusive.
The first week's admin
The address changes nobody remembers until something important goes to the old one.
Dates to put in the diary
Confirm each date from the applicable rules and documents. Some tenancies have no fixed end date. Mark unknown dates to follow up.
Before you forget
We can remind you 3 months before it ends
Use this only if you have confirmed a fixed end date and the length below matches your agreement. Many tenancies are open-ended. This is a planning reminder; confirm your legal notice requirements separately, even if the reminder is later.
With an account
Keep your home records together
- Your deposit paperwork and dates to confirm with the scheme.
- Your tenancy dates, with notice requirements checked separately.
- Gas and electrical records, and the next checks to diarise.
- The move-in photo record, kept where you can find it when you leave.
A few useful answers
Common questions
When should I take meter readings?
On the day you get the keys, before you use anything. Photograph each meter so the reading and its serial number are in one dated image, then send them to the supplier. This is what stops you paying for the last tenant’s usage.
How long do I have to check the inventory?
Confirm when the landlord or agent requests your comments, check each room promptly, and send corrections with dated evidence. Keep proof of sending and report later discoveries too. Do not assume that missing a requested deadline makes an inaccurate inventory conclusive.
When does my deposit have to be protected?
Protection and information deadlines depend on the nation and tenancy type, and may run from different dates. Record when you paid the deposit and when the tenancy began, check the applicable official guidance, and confirm protection directly with the scheme.
What do I need to do before my tenancy ends?
First confirm your tenancy type: many tenancies have no fixed end date. Before planning to leave, check the applicable notice rules, how notice must be served and any valid break clause. An agreement or planning reminder does not replace the rules that apply where you rent.
Do I need contents insurance?
Your landlord insures the building, not your belongings. Anything you own in the property is your risk unless you cover it. Check whether a policy needs particular locks or window fittings before you rely on it.
Official guidance by nation
Check the official page for the nation where the property is located before acting on a legal deadline.
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