Renters' Rights Act Inventory Checklist for Letting Agents (2026)

Why the inventory matters more under the Act

Check-outs come at short notice. There is no fixed term to plan around. A tenant can give 2 months' notice ending with a rent period at any point.
Possession for damage needs evidence. With no no-fault route, a landlord relies on Ground 13 (deterioration of the property) or Ground 15 (deterioration of furniture). Both are discretionary, and the court has to see what changed.
Pets are harder to refuse and you cannot insure against them. You must not unreasonably refuse a pet request, and you cannot require pet insurance or a separate pet deposit. The deposit, backed by your condition record, is the cover.
Deposit rules are unchanged, and still decided on evidence. An adjudicator compares the check-in record with the check-out record, and the burden of proof sits with the landlord.

The checklist

1. Before the tenant moves in

Complete the inventory before the keys are handed over, with a dated photo of every room, fixture and item.It is the baseline every later deduction, and any Ground 13 or 15 claim, is measured against.
Record condition and cleanliness separately for each item.Cleaning and damage are judged separately at check-out, so each needs its own starting point.
Photograph and note any damp, mould or condensation, with where it is.The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law are due to extend to private renting. A dated record of what was there at the start protects you when they do.
Record meter readings, every key and fob handed over, and that each smoke and carbon monoxide alarm worked on the day.In England alarms must be checked working on the first day of a new tenancy.
Give the tenant the inventory with a set window to add comments, and keep their acknowledged copy.A record the tenant had the chance to challenge carries far more weight in a dispute.
Protect the deposit in an approved scheme within 30 days and give the prescribed information.The rule is unchanged, but deposit compliance now has to be in order before a court makes most possession orders.
Take no more than one month's rent in advance, and only after the tenancy agreement is signed and before it starts.The Act caps rent in advance and bans taking it before signing.
Give a new tenant the written statement of terms.New tenancies need one; the How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026.

2. Pet requests

Reply in writing within 28 days of a written request to keep a pet.You can refuse only for a reasonable reason. If you need more information, ask for it within the 28 days.
Do not ask for pet insurance or a separate pet deposit.The final Act does not allow either. The tenancy deposit is your cover for pet damage, so your condition evidence has to carry the claim.
When you agree a pet mid-tenancy, take a dated photo record of floors, doors, skirting and garden that day.It separates wear from before the pet arrived from damage after it.

3. During the tenancy

Inspect periodically, giving at least 24 hours' written notice, and photograph the same rooms from the same angles each time.Consistent angles make change easy to show, and a recent inspection narrows any later argument.
Log every repair request with the date reported, the date fixed and photos.It answers disrepair counterclaims and prepares you for the Landlord Ombudsman.
Raise rent only with a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, at least 2 months ahead and no more than once a year.Rent review clauses no longer work, and the tenant can challenge an increase at the tribunal.

4. When notice arrives (check-out)

Book the check-out as soon as notice arrives.Tenants can leave on 2 months' notice ending with a rent period, so check-outs now come at short notice and without a fixed-term date to plan around.
Do the check-out against the check-in record: room by room, in the same order, from the same angles.The adjudicator never visits. They compare the two records and decide what changed.
Separate fair wear and tear from damage, allowing for how long the tenant lived there.Periodic tenancies can run for years, and a longer stay means more acceptable wear.
Link every proposed deduction to a check-in photo and a check-out photo that show the change.The burden of proof is on the landlord. A deduction without both photos usually fails.
Price damage on the item's age and condition at check-in, not new for old.Claims for full replacement of a part-worn item fail on betterment.
Send the tenant your proposed deductions promptly, with the evidence attached.Disputes settle faster, and more often without adjudication, when the evidence arrives with the proposal.

5. If you need possession because of damage

For Ground 13 (deterioration of the property) or Ground 15 (deterioration of furniture), prepare the check-in record, inspection photos and check-out evidence before serving notice.Both grounds are discretionary with 2 weeks' notice, and the court has to see what changed. Take legal advice on your facts first.

Coming next: not in force yet

Private Rented Sector Database and Landlord Ombudsman. Both are being phased in after the tenancy reforms, and the government will give landlords their sign-up dates. Registration is due to become a condition for using most possession grounds.
Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law for private renting. The Act extends both to the private rented sector, with dates to be set in regulations. Damp, mould and hazard records you keep from today are the evidence you will need.

Check GOV.UK for current dates before relying on any of them.

Common questions

No. You must still protect a deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and give the prescribed information. The Tenant Fees Act still caps a deposit at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and there is no separate pet deposit. What has changed is that deposit compliance is checked before a court makes most possession orders.

No. Existing tenancies carried on as assured periodic tenancies, so the original check-in inventory is still the baseline. If that inventory is thin or has few photos, a dated mid-tenancy condition record now gives you a firmer starting point for the eventual check-out.

Two months, ending with a rent period. There is no fixed term any more, so a check-out can come at any point in the tenancy. Booking it as soon as notice arrives is the practical answer.

No. The final Act does not let you require pet insurance or take a separate pet deposit. You can refuse a pet request only for a reasonable reason, and you must reply in writing within 28 days of a written request.

No. It is general information for England, checked against GOV.UK on 11 October 2026. Take advice on your own facts before serving any notice.

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Sources

Dates and rules on this page were checked against these sources on 11 October 2026. Law changes, so verify before you act.

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Renters' Rights Act inventory checklist for letting agents