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 7 September 2026
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Property:
Move-in date:
Landlord or agent:
Deposit scheme:
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.
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
The inventory becomes the agreed truth once its window closes, whether or not you read it.
Safety, alarms and certificates
These are documents your landlord has to give you, not favours to ask for.
The first week's admin
The address changes nobody remembers until something important goes to the old one.
Dates to put in the diary
Every one of these is worked out from dates you already know today. None of them will be sent to you.
Before you forget
We can remind you 3 months before it ends
That is the point where both answers are still open — ask about renewing, or give notice in time. Miss it and a fixed term usually rolls into another one you are committed to paying for.
With an account
Every date on this list, worked out for you
- The deposit protection deadline, counted from the day you moved in.
- Your break clause and notice deadline, not just the tenancy end.
- Gas and electrical certificates, and a reminder before they lapse.
- 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?
Your agreement or the inventory itself usually sets a window, often around seven days. Do not let it pass: once it does, the inventory is treated as agreed, and it is the document a deposit deduction will be argued against months later.
When does my deposit have to be protected?
In England and Wales a landlord has 30 days from receiving it to protect a deposit in a government-backed scheme and send you the prescribed information. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes and timescales. Ask which scheme, then check it with that scheme directly.
What do I need to do before my tenancy ends?
Decide whether to renew or leave, and give notice in time if you are leaving. The deadline is usually months before the end date, and it is set by your agreement. Working it out in the first week is much easier than remembering to.
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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