PRACTICAL INSPECTION GUIDE

A rental inspection checklist for every handover.

A useful inspection gives both parties a clear starting point. Follow the same room order and viewpoints before check-in and after checkout so the records are easier to compare.

1. Prepare the inspection

• Confirm the property, stay dates, inspection type, and person capturing the evidence.
• Use the same room list and viewpoints each time.
• Check lighting, lens clarity, and upload connectivity.
• Capture when the property is unoccupied where possible, and avoid guests' faces, documents, and personal belongings.

2. Capture each room

• Living areas: take an overview, then document floors, walls, seating, tables, doors, windows, and listed inventory.
• Bedrooms: record the room layout, bed frame, furniture, flooring, and any visible pre-existing marks.
• Kitchen: document worktops, cabinet fronts, sink, appliance exteriors, and the agreed inventory.
• Bathrooms: document visible surfaces, fittings, tiles, mirrors, and existing stains or cracks.
• Entrances and outdoor areas: include accessible doors, entry surfaces, and furniture that belongs in the handover record.

For a visible issue, capture both a wider view to show its location and a close-up to show the detail. Do not obscure or alter original evidence.

3. Review before check-in

• Check that the required rooms and viewpoints are covered.
• Link the evidence to the correct property and stay.
• Let the guest review the condition record and raise discrepancies.
• Record explicit responses; do not treat silence as agreement.

4. Repeat after checkout

• Use the same room order and similar viewpoints.
• Keep lighting and framing comparable where practical.
• Separate visible condition changes from moved objects, cleaning differences, reflections, or shadows.
• Record missing coverage and uncertainty instead of assuming a change occurred.

5. Review differences fairly

Look at the original before-and-after evidence together. Record a person's review decision and the reason for it. A visible difference alone does not establish who caused it. If the evidence is insufficient, request additional context or mark the result inconclusive.

6. Preserve the record

Keep original media, inspection context, timestamps, responses, and review history together. Share evidence only with authorized parties and use a retention process appropriate to your operation.

Using software for the checklist

StaySpect property inspection software is being developed around this connected handover process, with a foundation for properties, rooms, stays, private evidence uploads, and audit history. Explore its illustrative workflow videos.

This guide concerns visible rental condition documentation. It is not a building safety inspection, professional survey, or legal determination.