Final inspection: hand over your rented home with clear evidence

Arrange a preliminary inspection with time to act

Request an appointment early and clear identification of matters required before key return. An appointment on the last moving day leaves little opportunity to discuss or perform work. Retain unanswered requests. Preliminary inspection makes differences visible without requiring immediate acceptance of every demand or cost. Ask when you will receive the written points and which arrangements apply to disputed items.

Compare the initial condition

Collect the original report and photos, recording existing damage and reports during occupation. The Juridisch Loket handover guidance explains the relevance of initial evidence. Compare the same spaces and components. Overview photographs show context and detail images show specific marks. Keep both instead of relying only on disconnected close-ups that cannot identify the room.

Identify alterations you made

Find permission for flooring, kitchen modifications, painting or other changes. Establish whether alterations may remain and under what conditions. Minor reversible changes raise different questions from major building work. Consult the Rijksoverheid on alterations. A passing compliment differs from written permission addressing eventual handover as well as installation.

Make repair requests specific

A demand to leave things tidy does not explain the required action. Ask for each room, item and alleged defect. Distinguish cleaning, ordinary use and actual damage. Check maintenance responsibilities for major work assigned to you. Record disagreement and request explanation so the final visit does not repeat the same vague instructions without resolving what should be done.

Document items taken over by the next tenant

For curtains, furniture or flooring left behind, record who becomes owner and who consents. An agreement with the incoming tenant does not necessarily bind the landlord concerning every return obligation. Specify items and whether they form part of the accommodation. Keep signed takeover arrangements. Resolve uncertain removal duties before leaving objects without an identified recipient on the last day.

Photograph the actual departure condition

Near handover, take overview images per room and details of discussed points. Keep identifiable original files with dates. Include an emptied storage space and other rented areas. Record work you completed. Photos supplement rather than replace the report, helping compare a later allegation with the actual condition when access and keys were transferred.

Read the report before signing

Establish whether the report merely describes condition or also includes liability, amounts or final discharge. Add objections to disputed conclusions. Obtain a copy of exactly what you sign. Do not sign an empty form assuming it will later be completed appropriately. Digital signatures need the same attention to complete contents as paper signatures, including incorporated attachments.

Record meters, keys and contact details

Photograph readings with correct meter identification where possible. Record numbers of keys and access devices and the recipient. Provide correspondence details and a repayment account for the deposit. Check written termination confirmation. Physical key handover and legal termination can differ; explicitly settle the effect of earlier handover on remaining rent rather than assuming the two dates coincide.

Assess later claims against the record

Retain everything even after an amicable inspection. For a subsequent claim, ask what is new and how the bill relates to the report. The deposit rules establish repayment and deduction conditions. Compare with photos and agreements. Missing initial evidence or disputed signatures can require legal assistance to assess proof.

• Preliminary appointment and report
• Initial description, photos and alteration permission
• Repair points and your response
• Takeover agreements for remaining items
• Final report, objections and copy
• Meter readings, key receipt and repayment account