Check-in inspection for a lease: checklist and free template
Free check-in inspection template for a lease: room-by-room checklist, meters and keys. Download in PDF and Word or fill it in on the Aluseg app.
- NRAU-compliant
- PT and bilingual PT/EN
- Editable PDF + Word
- 100% free
Free template
The check-in inspection of a lease is the room-by-room record of the condition of the property at the moment it is handed to the tenant — the only evidence capable of supporting, months or years later, a deposit deduction for damage on exit. Without this record signed by both parties, the Civil Code does presume the property was delivered in good condition, but that presumption is not enough to prove the specific value of damage at the check-out: without photographs and a dated record on entry, any discrepancy becomes an expensive argument with no documentary evidence. This template covers all the typical rooms of a let property, the meter readings and the key handover, ready to print and sign on the day of handover. Download it free in PDF and Word, or fill in the record directly on your phone — with photographs and digital signature — in the Aluseg app.
- Checklist with the typical rooms of a let property (hall, living room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, balcony, storage room, garage)
- Standardised condition scale — New, Good, Fair, Used, Damaged
- Table for electricity, gas and water meter readings
- Record of keys, badges and remote controls handed to the tenant
- Declaration of conformity and signatures of the landlord and the tenant, ready to print
What the check-in inspection is and when to do it
The check-in inspection records the condition of the property when the tenant moves in — walls, floors, equipment, meters — at the moment the keys are handed over. It should be done on the day of handover, with both parties present whenever possible, and signed by both before the tenant moves in. It is the starting point of any residential lease and the reference used, at the end of the contract, for comparison with the check-out inspection.
What this inspection record template includes
- Identification of the property, the contract and the parties present
- Table with the typical rooms — hall, living room, kitchen, up to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, balcony, storage room and garage — plus blank rows for extra rooms
- Standardised condition scale, from New to Damaged
- Electricity, gas and water meter readings
- Record of keys, badges and remote controls handed over
- Space for general notes and signatures of both parties
Each room has its own row, so that the condition recorded on entry serves as a direct, item-by-item comparison with the check-out inspection at the end of the contract.
How to fill in the property condition checklist step by step
- Fill in the identification of the property, the contract reference and the date of the inspection.
- Go through the property room by room, giving each one a condition — New, Good, Fair, Used or Damaged — and noting specific remarks.
- Record the electricity, gas and water meter readings.
- Count and note the keys, badges and remote controls handed over.
- Take supporting photographs of each room and tick the corresponding box.
- Review the general notes and both parties sign, with date and place.
Legal basis and deadlines of the check-in inspection
Portuguese law does not formally require an inspection. What the law says is something else, and that is why the inspection matters: article 1043(2) of the Civil Code presumes that the property was delivered to the tenant in good state of repair when there is no document in which the parties described its condition at the time of handover. That presumption protects the landlord as to the starting point, but does not replace proof of the specific damage on exit — and that is where the check-in inspection, with photographs and dated signatures, makes the difference. Without it, a deposit deduction becomes much harder to sustain against a tenant who contests it.
Note that the deposit has a legal ceiling: article 1076(2) of the Civil Code allows securing performance of obligations up to the equivalent of two months' rent. This is one more reason to document the initial condition well — the margin for covering damage is limited and is not widened by charging more money on entry.
When withholding amounts from the deposit at the end of the contract, always itemise the amounts by room and attach repair quotes or invoices: there is no rule allowing a generic deduction, and it is the check-in inspection — detailed and comparable with the check-out — that supports that itemisation.
Mistakes to avoid in the check-in inspection
- Not doing a check-in inspection — only the check-out — leaves the landlord with nothing to compare against to prove damage.
- Vague descriptions such as "good general condition", without detailing each room, which do not withstand a challenge.
- Not taking dated supporting photographs for the written notes.
- Forgetting the meter readings, essential for correctly splitting consumption between tenants.
- Only one party signing, or signing without the tenant actually being present.
- Not giving the tenant a signed copy — both parties should keep the same document.
Frequently asked questions
Is a check-in inspection required by law?
There is no rule formally requiring a check-in inspection, but it is the practical way to document the condition of the property and to prove damage at the check-out, supporting any deposit deduction.
Who should be present at the check-in inspection?
Ideally the landlord (or a representative) and the tenant, so that both sign the same document on the same day. If one party cannot be present, the inspection should be carried out with witnesses and the record sent to the absent party.
What difference does the check-in inspection make to the return of the deposit?
Without a check-in inspection, the landlord has to prove alone that damage found on exit did not exist before — which in practice is very hard without photographs and a signed record at the date of handover. With the inspection, the comparison between entry and exit makes deducting from the deposit much more defensible.
Can I do the check-in inspection on my phone instead of on paper?
Yes. In addition to this PDF and Word template, the Aluseg app lets you fill in the inspection directly on your phone, with photographs per room and digital signature by both parties, and the record is then locked and available to print at any time.
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