The half hour that saves you the argument at the end

The day you collect the keys, all you want is to start bringing in boxes. But that half hour is the best investment of the whole contract, because it is the only proof of what state the flat was in when you arrived.

What to photograph

• Each room in full, from the doorway, and then the details.
• Floors, skirting boards and corners: that is where the arguments come from.
• Walls with marks, nails or repainted patches.
• Bathroom and kitchen in detail: seals, taps, worktop, inside the cupboards.
• Appliances inside and running, including the boiler and the date of its last service if it is visible.
• Windows, blinds and locks, opening and closing them.
• Meter readings on the same day.

How to do it properly

With a visible date, and better as one continuous video walking through the flat than as loose photos: a single unbroken walkthrough is much harder to dispute. Send it to the landlord that same day through a channel that leaves a trace, and ask them to confirm they agree.

If something is already broken, do not keep quiet out of politeness. A defect recorded on day one is a defect you do not pay for at the end; the same defect unrecorded becomes yours, even though you did not cause it.

And when you leave

Repeat exactly the same walkthrough. Two comparable videos, one on arrival and one on departure, settle 90% of deposit disputes before they even start.