An inventory and condition form is the move-in report for a rented home. It lists every room, fitting, appliance and piece of furniture, with the state each one is in on the day the tenant arrives. Signed by landlord and tenant, it is the evidence that decides what comes off the deposit at move-out.
Here "inventory" means a list of what is in the house, one of the meanings set apart in inventory vs stock. It is not a shop's business inventory that tracks products for sale.
This guide gives a form to copy, condition codes that prevent arguments and a deposit worked out in UGX. It ends with what the law says in three places.
Who fills it in, and when
The landlord or agent usually prepares the form before the tenant moves in, and the tenant checks it on the first day. The tenant adds anything missing or wrong, both sign, and each keeps a copy. At move-out, the same form is walked again and the two columns are compared.
Do the walk-through before the tenant's furniture arrives. An empty room shows every stain, crack and missing socket cover, and a full one hides them.
Condition codes that prevent arguments
Use a short code for each item, then a note and a photo number. "OK" means nothing at move-out; "F, drips when closed, photo 14" means one thing to both parties.
| Code | Meaning | Example note |
|---|---|---|
| N | New or as new, no marks | Gas cooker installed this month |
| G | Good: light marks from normal use, works fully | Two small scuffs low on the wall |
| F | Fair: worn or marked, still works | Tap drips when closed |
| P | Poor: damaged or not working | Socket cover cracked, socket dead |
| M | Missing | One of three window keys |
The form, room by room
Copy this table into a document or spreadsheet, one block per room. Leave the last column empty until move-out.
| Room or area | Item | Condition in | Notes and photo numbers | Condition out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Door, frame, locks, and how many keys of each kind | |||
| Every room | Walls, ceiling, floor, skirting | |||
| Every room | Windows, glass, burglar bars, curtains and rails | |||
| Every room | Light switches, sockets, bulbs, ceiling fan | |||
| Kitchen | Cooker, sink and taps, cupboards, worktop, extractor | |||
| Bathroom and toilet | Toilet flush, basin, shower or bath, taps, tiles, water heater | |||
| Bedrooms | Wardrobes, doors, mosquito nets or screens | |||
| Furnished items | Each item by name, with its serial number where it has one | |||
| Outside | Gate, padlocks and gate remote, perimeter wall, compound, staff quarters | |||
| Water | Water tank, pump, meter reading | |||
| Power | Prepaid electricity units left, or meter reading; solar panels and inverter | |||
| Sign-off | Names, signatures and date for landlord and tenant |
The water, power and security rows are the ones most online templates leave out. In a Kampala or Nairobi rental, a missing gate remote or a pump that does not start costs more than a scuffed wall.
How tenants and landlords each use it
If you are the tenant
- Test, do not just look. Run every tap, flush every toilet, switch every light and socket, and start the pump.
- Photograph everything you mark F, P or M. Number the photos in the form and send them to the landlord the same day, so both of you hold a dated copy.
- Return the form on time, and keep proof that you did: a signed copy, an email or a dated message.
- Report later damage in writing as soon as it happens, so it is not mistaken for something you caused.
If you are the landlord
- Prepare the form before the tenant arrives, with your own photos, so the tenant checks a record instead of writing one.
- Get both signatures and give the tenant a copy.
- Use the same form at move-out, line by line, and deduct only for damage beyond normal wear and tear.
- Keep receipts for any repair you charge to the deposit.
For what a home should be like before it is let at all, Guardian Property Management's guide sets out a landlord's checklist.
Normal wear and tear or damage?
Wear and tear is what ordinary living does over time, and the landlord bears it. Damage is what misuse, accident or neglect does, and the deposit can cover it.
| Normal wear and tear | Damage |
|---|---|
| Paint faded by sun, light scuffs | Holes, crayon, large stains on the wall |
| A worn path across a carpet or rug | Burns, tears or pet damage |
| A door handle loosened by years of use | A door kicked off its hinges |
| Grout darkened with age | A cracked basin or broken tiles |
| Curtains faded by sunlight | Curtains torn or missing |
A worked example: settling a deposit in UGX
For example, a tenant in Kampala pays rent of UGX 1,200,000 a month and a deposit of the same amount. The figures are illustrative.
| Finding at move-out | Form at move-in | Deducted |
|---|---|---|
| Basin cracked | G, photo 9 | 150,000, with the plumber's receipt |
| One gate key missing | 3 keys listed | 20,000 |
| Living room paint faded | G | 0: normal wear and tear |
| Kitchen tap drips | F, "drips when closed", photo 14 | 0: it was already so |
| Refund | 1,030,000 |
Without the form, the dripping tap is one word against another. With it, the tenant pays for the basin and the key and nothing else.
What the law says: three examples
Some laws require the form, some require a joint inspection, and some only protect the deposit. Read your own country's tenancy law; where none requires a form, a signed one is still the best evidence you can hold.
Washington State, United States
A landlord there may not collect a deposit without a written rental agreement. The tenant must also get "a written checklist or statement" of the home's condition. Both sign and date it, and the tenant keeps a copy.
A landlord who takes a deposit without one is liable to the tenant for the deposit amount, under RCW 59.18.260.
South Africa
The Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 requires landlord and tenant to inspect the dwelling together before the tenant moves in. They inspect it together again within three days before the lease ends.
A landlord who skips the joint inspection is deemed to accept that the home is "in a good and proper state of repair". The landlord must then refund the full deposit with interest.
Uganda
The Landlord and Tenant Act 2022 does not require a form, but section 30 limits what a deposit can do. It may not exceed one month's rent, or a twelfth of a year's rent if that is less. The landlord must state in writing when it can be withheld, and it "shall not be withheld on account of normal wear and tear".
Section 16 also obliges a tenant who becomes aware of damage to notify the landlord immediately. A signed move-in form is how a Ugandan landlord or tenant shows which marks are wear and tear and which are damage.
Where ArmPOS fits, and where it does not
ArmPOS is software for shops, and it does not make condition forms. A word processor or a spreadsheet with the template above does that job.
If you let furnished units, ArmPOS can keep the furniture and appliances as a register. Assets › Add Asset records each item's tag, name, serial number, purchase date and purchase cost. Its Next Validation date reminds you when the item is due for a check.
That register gives you the furnished-items rows, with serial numbers, to copy into each tenant's form. Assets come with some plans only, and equipment inventory management covers tracking such items in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
Who fills out the inventory and condition form?
Usually the landlord or agent prepares it and the tenant checks and completes it on moving in. Both sign it, and both keep a copy.
What happens if I don't fill out a move-in form?
It depends on the law where you rent. In Washington State, a landlord who takes a deposit without one owes the tenant that amount. Elsewhere, whoever has no record usually loses the argument at move-out.
Is a move-in checklist the same as an inventory and condition form?
Yes. The same document is also called a move-in condition report, a check-in report or a schedule of condition.
Should I take photos at move-in?
Yes, of everything you mark less than good, and of each room as a whole. Number them in the form and send copies to the other party the same day.
Running a shop as well as letting property? Create a free ArmPOS account for your stock and sales: the Starter plan needs no card.
