The rental handover checklist: what to check before you move in

The handover is the most important hour of your tenancy, and most tenants spend it deciding where the sofa goes.

It is also the hour that decides whether your deposit comes back in full two years later. Anything that is not found, photographed and logged on day one becomes your responsibility on the last day.

This is the checklist we run at every Doors handover. It is unglamorous, and it is the highest return hour of the whole tenancy.

Why doing it yourself usually falls short

Most tenants do the handover themselves. You walk through with your phone, take a few photos, and tell yourself that is enough. It rarely is, and the reasons are not about effort.

You do not know what to look for. A hollow tile, a slow shower drain, a socket that is loose behind the plate and an aircon that drips only after an hour of running are all invisible on a quick look. If you have not seen a hundred handovers, you do not know which small thing becomes a large deposit dispute.

You are distracted. The movers are in the lift, the keys have just been handed over, and you are tired from the relocation. A careful inspection and a day of moving in do not fit in the same hour.

Photos on your phone are not a record. A folder of pictures with no room labels, no list and no acknowledgement from the landlord is easy to dispute. What counts is a numbered list that was sent in writing within the reporting window and acknowledged.

The other side does this for a living. The landlord or their agent has done many handovers and knows the lease. You are doing yours for the first time in a market you may have known for a few weeks.

None of that is a criticism. It is just a lot to ask of someone who is also trying to land in a new country. This is the reason we do it for our clients.

How we record it

A quick walkthrough with your phone is not enough, because it does not produce a record the landlord has acknowledged.

We photograph every item and take a narrated video of each room as we go. Everything goes into one numbered, room-by-room list, and that list is sent to the landlord in writing within the reporting window in your lease. A defect that is on that list, and acknowledged, is not yours at move-out.

The room-by-room checklist:

Walls and ceilings

We look for scuffs, cracks, damp patches, mould, peeling paint and marks near light fittings. Ceilings get the same attention, especially under bathrooms and next to the aircon.

Floors

We check for scratches, chips, lifting boards, hollow-sounding tiles and water damage. Walking the whole floor matters, because hollow tiles are only found by stepping on them.

Doors and windows

Every door should open, close and lock without force. Every window should latch, slide smoothly and seal. We also check grilles, screens and balcony doors, and test each key and access card that comes with the unit.

Kitchen

We check cabinet doors and hinges, countertops, the sink and taps, drainage, the hob and hood, and any visible staining or water damage under the sink.

Bathrooms

We check water pressure, drainage speed, tiles and grout, silicone seals, toilet flush, and signs of leaks or damp. A shower with poor drainage is one of the most common defects, and one of the easiest to miss.

Appliances

Everything listed in the inventory gets switched on and tested: washer, dryer, fridge, oven, water heater and anything else in the schedule. If it is in the inventory and it does not work, it goes on the list.

Aircon

We run every unit and check cooling, noise, airflow, drainage and the condition of the filters. Servicing obligations usually sit with the tenant under most leases, so we record the starting condition and the date of the last service where we can.

Electrical

We test every socket, switch and light fitting, check the DB box and look for burn marks, loose plates or flickering.

Outside areas

Balconies, yards and common-area access get checked for cracks, drainage, rust and anything that affects safe use.

After the list

Once the list is done, we split it into two groups.

Items to fix. These are defects the landlord should repair, such as a leaking tap, a faulty socket or an aircon that does not cool. We chase repair dates with the landlord's side, so they do not drift.

Items to record. These are cosmetic marks and existing wear that are not worth a repair but must be on file, so they are not charged to you later.

How Doors handles the inspection

For our clients, the defects inspection is part of how we settle you into the home. It is run by our own inspection company, logged item by item, and submitted formally to the landlord in writing.

We run our own inspection company, and we say so plainly. It is the same team that comes back at move-out, so the record at the start is the one we compare against at the end.

You do not need to know what a hollow tile sounds like. That is the point of having it done properly.

Doors by The Yellow Door helps expats find and settle into homes in Singapore, from the search through to the move-out inspection. This article is general information and not legal advice. Lease terms vary and should be reviewed against your specific tenancy agreement.