Photograph the Meter, Note the Mould: The Tenant's First 48 Hours

Keys in hand, van half-emptied, kettle still in a box somewhere. The instinct is to unpack first and deal with the boring paperwork later. That instinct costs tenants money. The condition of a rented home is easiest to document when it is still empty, and the evidence gathered in the first two days is the baseline against which every deposit deduction will eventually be judged.

Why this window closes quickly

In England, a deposit taken for an assured shorthold tenancy is capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is below £50,000, and it must be protected in a government-approved scheme with the prescribed information issued within 30 days. Deposit disputes are decided on evidence, not recollection. A tenant who can produce a dated photograph of a pre-existing crack, a meter reading taken on the day of handover and an email reporting a faulty extractor fan is in a far stronger position eighteen months later than one relying on memory.

The same applies to repairs. Landlords are obliged to keep the structure, exterior and installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and heating in repair, and since the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 in England, tenants can take action over conditions that make a home unfit. None of that helps without a written record showing when a problem was first reported and how it progressed.

The first hour: readings, keys and paperwork

Before the furniture arrives, take and photograph meter readings for electricity, gas and water. Capture the serial number alongside the dial or display in the same frame, and note the reading in writing. These figures will be queried by a supplier within weeks, and an estimated opening reading can follow you for months.

Count the keys against the inventory, including window keys, communal door fobs and any bin store key. Then check that you have received what you are entitled to:

• the tenancy agreement and any guarantor documents;
• the deposit prescribed information, naming the scheme;
• a current Energy Performance Certificate;
• the annual gas safety record, signed by a Gas Safe registered engineer, where the property has gas;
• the Electrical Installation Condition Report, which should be renewed at least every five years;
• theHow to Rent guide, where the tenancy is in England;
• an inventory or schedule of condition, signed by the landlord or agent.

If any of these is missing, request it in writing on day one. A polite email creates a record without souring the relationship.

The walk-round: what to photograph and how

Work through the property room by room, taking a wide shot of each space followed by close-ups of anything imperfect. Keep location services and timestamps switched on, or use an app that stamps date and address onto the image. Where scale matters, place a coin or a ruler beside the defect.

Damp and mould repay particular attention. Look behind furniture that has been left in place, beneath windows, along the base of external walls, in the corners of bathrooms, around extractor fans, under the sink and behind the washing machine. Photograph any staining on ceilings and skirting, and describe it neutrally in your report — condensation, penetrating damp and rising damp look different but you are not required to diagnose which is present.

Check the fabric as well: window seals and any misting between panes, cracked tiles, loose handles, worn carpet edges, burns and stains on worktops, chips on sanitaryware. Every pre-existing mark you record is a deduction you will not be paying.

Testing the things that fail in week three

Run the appliances rather than merely looking at them. Turn on the oven and every hob ring, set the fridge and freezer to temperature, and put the washing machine through a short cycle. Run hot water and put the heating on, noting how long the boiler takes to respond. Hold a piece of tissue to each extractor fan to confirm it draws. Flush every toilet, run every tap and shower, and watch how quickly water drains.

Press the test button on each smoke alarm and on any carbon monoxide alarm. Confirm that alarms are present on every storey where they are required. Check door closers, window restrictors and, in a flat, that the front door is a functioning fire door with intumescent strips and a working self-closer.

Safety paperwork should be read, not filed. On the gas record, confirm the address matches and the engineer's registration is current. On the electrical report, look for observations coded C1 or C2 and ask in writing whether the recommended remedial work has been completed. For furnished lets, check that upholstered furniture carries fire safety labelling.

Write it up while it is still fresh

Send a written report to the letting agent or landlord within 48 to 72 hours, and ask for acknowledgement. Structure it room by room, referencing inventory item numbers where they exist, and separate damage from fair wear and tear so that the distinction is on the record from the outset.

Report defects in the same email, listed separately from the condition record, with photographs attached to each point. Keep a running repairs log thereafter: date reported, who was told, what was promised, what happened. Where a problem is urgent — no hot water, a suspected gas leak, active damp — report it immediately and confirm the call in writing.

Use the agent's portal if one exists, but send the same content by email so that you hold your own copy. Save everything to a folder you will still be able to find at check-out.

A checklist you can complete in an afternoon

• Meter readings for electricity, gas and water, photographed with serial numbers.
• Keys and fobs counted against the inventory.
• Every room photographed wide, then defects photographed close.
• Damp and mould checked behind furniture, under windows and in wet rooms.
• All appliances and extractor fans switched on and tested.
• Heating, hot water, taps, showers and drains run.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested.
• Gas safety record, electrical report and EPC read and checked for dates and address.
• Written report and repair requests emailed within 72 hours.

None of this takes long, and most of it can be done before the first box is opened. Two hours of methodical work on handover day is the cheapest insurance a tenant will ever buy.