How to run an Irish tenancy check-in inventory

A tenancy in Ireland starts with more than a signed agreement and a set of keys. It starts with the condition of the dwelling on day one. If you do not record that condition, you are relying on memory, a camera roll, and whatever the tenant later recalls — none of which is a contemporaneous record.

A tenancy check-in inventory (also called a property condition report) answers a later question: what was the dwelling actually like when the tenant moved in? Do it once, in order, and get it signed.

This is practical guidance for Irish private landlords. It is not legal advice.

Why the check-in is the record that matters later

Most deposit disagreements are about facts, not the law in the abstract: a mark on a wall, a chipped worktop, a stained carpet, a missing key, a meter reading that does not match the closing bill. Those facts are cheap to photograph on move-in day and expensive to reconstruct later.

In Ireland the landlord typically holds the deposit. There is no third-party lodging scheme as a matter of course. If a dispute reaches the Residential Tenancies Board, both sides will be asked what they recorded at the start of the letting and at the end. A structured check-in does not guarantee any outcome. It does give you a dated, room-by-room baseline that can be compared with a later check-out inspection.

If it is not written down, photographed, and acknowledged, it is not on the record.

What a tenancy inventory should actually capture

A useful inventory is a condition record: rooms, items, ratings, photos, meters, keys, and existing damage. Walk the property as if a stranger must understand it without you. For the full field list, see what to include in a property condition report.

Photographs that will still make sense in twelve months

Phone photos only help if they can be identified later. Shoot in daylight where you can, and keep the context in frame.

For each room:

• One wide shot from the doorway, then a second wide shot from the opposite corner.
• Each wall, the ceiling, and the floor covering — including the edges and behind doors.
• Windows, sills, catches, and any blinds or curtains.
• Fixtures that later cause argument: sockets, switches, radiators, taps, shower screen, hob, extractor, smoke alarm.
• Existing marks, chips, stains, and repairs — close-up and a wider shot showing where the defect sits.
• White goods: interior, seals, and the floor immediately around them.

Caption photos by room and item on the day. A folder of unlabelled images is not an inventory.

Condition ratings, meters, keys, and existing damage

Rate items consistently. A four-point scale is enough for most lettings: good, fair, poor, and damaged. Use the same words in every room so check-out can be compared like-for-like.

• Good — clean, intact, ordinary wear only.
• Fair — serviceable, with visible wear you would expect after previous occupation.
• Poor — worn, marked, or defective, but still in place and usable.
• Damaged — broken, unsafe, missing parts, or needing repair.

If something is not present, mark it as not applicable. Silence looks like an omission.

Existing damage is the most important note you will write. Be specific: “hairline crack, lower left of kitchen window pane, approximately 8 cm” is a record. “Window a bit cracked” is not. If you intend to repair something after move-in, say so on the report so it is not later treated as tenant damage.

Record utilities while you are there:

• Electricity meter: location, reading, and a photo of the display. Keep the MPRN from the bill or account, not from the meter face.
• Gas meter: the same. Keep the GPRN from the account if the dwelling has gas.
• Water meter, if the dwelling has one.

Keys, fobs, and access:

• Number of keys for the front door, back door, windows, and any gates or outbuildings.
• Fobs, postbox, bike store, communal doors, parking remotes. Keep alarm codes off a circulated PDF.

Note cleanliness as you found it. “Professionally cleaned, empty, ready to let” is a condition, not a compliment.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms belong on the inventory as present and visibly intact. Dates for RTB registration, BER, and gas safety are a separate diary; they do not replace a condition record.

A room-by-room method that holds up

Do the inspection in person, with the tenant present if you can. If they cannot attend, complete the record and send it for sign-off the same day. Delay is how “that stain was already there” becomes unresolvable.

Work the dwelling in a fixed order so you never skip a space:

1. Exterior and entrance (front door, hall, letterbox, porch).
2. Living room.
3. Kitchen, including appliances, worktops, sink, and cupboards inside and out.
4. Each bedroom in number order.
5. Bathroom and any en suite or WC.
6. Hot press, storage, attic hatch if accessible, and any shed or garden.
7. Meters, alarms, and keys last, when you still have the whole property in mind.

Inside each room, follow the same loop: structure (walls, ceiling, floor, windows, doors) → fittings → furniture and appliances → defects. Rate the item, photograph it, write the note, then move on. Do not batch photos at the end, and do not finish the report from memory that evening.

Check-in checklist

Use this as a working list on the day.

• Tenancy details on the report: address (with Eircode), tenant names, start date, landlord name.
• Every habitable room inspected, including hall, landing, and storage.
• Condition rating against each significant item, using the same scale throughout.
• Existing damage described in plain, locatable language and photographed close-up plus context.
• Appliances listed (cooker, hob, extractor, fridge, washing machine, dishwasher) with visible condition.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms present and noted.
• Electricity, gas, and water meter readings photographed.
• Key and fob schedule completed; tenant confirms the count.
• Cleanliness and whether the property was empty at handover noted.
• Tenant has reviewed the report. Disagreements are noted on the record before they sign.
• You have a dated copy stored off the phone as a single report, not only in a messaging app.

Get the tenant’s sign-off while they are still in the property

An unsigned inventory is your account of the property. A signed inventory is a shared record. The difference matters when memories diverge.

Give the tenant time to walk the rooms with you. If they dispute an item, photograph it again if needed, update the report where you accept the correction, and only then ask them to sign. A note that a scuff was agreed and photographed is stronger than a later email. If they refuse to sign, record the refusal and keep the inspection; you still need the contemporaneous photos and ratings.

Do not wait until “we’ll sort the inventory next week.” Sign-off belongs at check-in. See tenant sign-off on a property condition report for review and signature.

Keep the same structure for check-out

The check-in only earns its keep if check-out can be laid beside it. Use the same rooms, items, ratings, and angles so you can show what changed — and what did not.

That comparison is the backbone of any later deposit discussion and condition evidence. Fair wear and tear is judged against the starting record, not an ideal empty show-house. If the starting record is vague, every mark becomes an argument.

A short note on law and evidence

This article is not a statement of what the Residential Tenancies Board will accept in any particular case. Registration of tenancies and deposit handling sit under Irish residential tenancies law; for a live dispute, speak to a qualified adviser.

The discipline is simple. Inspect in order. Rate consistently. Photograph what you rate. Note what is already damaged. Record meters and keys. Get a signature. Store the file.

TenureFolio is built for this workflow: structured rooms, items, ratings (good / fair / poor / damaged), meters, and photos, then a single-use magic link for the tenant to review and sign — no tenant account. Start free with one property and one tenancy. Viewing, downloading, and signing the PDF is gated: unlock a report for €4.99, or subscribe (Starter €9, Portfolio €19, Pro €39 per month).

Create a free TenureFolio account and run your next check-in as a structured, signable condition report rather than a folder of unmarked photos.