Preparing the move-out inspection: a manager's checklist (2026)
Preparing the move-out inspection: a manager's checklist
With the move-in record, a checked clause and the meter numbers, otherwise you record the condition without being able to do anything with it.
Schedule it in daylight with enough time, check everything, and record only what you actually checked. A blanket "no defects" can exclude later claims as a negative acknowledgement of debt (§ 397 Abs. 2 BGB).
§ 397 Abs. 2 BGBIn 60 seconds
Bring the move-in record with photos as the yardstick, the meter numbers from the move-in documentation, and the key list by type and number.
Hold the appointment in daylight, not in the evening, and allow 45 to 60 minutes for a three-room flat.
Inspect after the move-out, with the flat empty; you cannot assess what furniture is standing in front of.
Never record a blanket "no defects" where you have not checked everything: that can be a negative acknowledgement of debt under § 397 Abs. 2 BGB and exclude later claims.
Only hidden defects, not detectable on careful inspection in daylight, are exempt.
What the law says
Where the creditor acknowledges by contract that an obligation does not exist, it is extinguished. Where the landlord certifies a blanket defect-free condition at the return, that can amount to such a negative acknowledgement, and later claims for that condition are then excluded. Working translation; the German original is the binding text.
The areas most often missed
Silicone joints in bathroom and kitchen are inconspicuous and the commonest point of dispute. Then the inside of oven and fridge, window handles and seals, blind straps and boxes, door frames, radiators from behind, shower profiles, the balcony and the cellar or attic compartment.
Related: The handover record for property managers and Deposit statements without a dispute.
What it means for each side
- Insist on an appointment in daylight and with enough time.
- Have only what was actually checked recorded.
- Enter reservations rather than refusing to sign.
- Take away an identical copy of the record.
- Work room by room in a fixed order: always the same route.
- Take a wide shot from two directions per room, then details.
- Separate wear from damage at the appointment itself.
- Read the meters jointly and photograph the meter number with the reading.
Common mistakes
Without a full check that can exclude later claims (§ 397 Abs. 2 BGB).
What was not detectable becomes a question of interpretation later, and you cannot assess what furniture is standing in front of.
You can record the condition but will struggle to do anything with it.
"Tiles damaged" will not hold up; "bathroom, splashback above the bath, crack approx. 15 cm" will.
What to do next
Before the appointment, assemble the move-in record, meter numbers and key list, and check the redecoration clause.
Schedule it in daylight, after the move-out, with the flat empty.
Work room by room in a fixed order, with wide and detail shots and concrete wording. Do it with BildProof, about two minutes a room →
Read the meters jointly, count the keys, get both signatures and issue identical copies.
Frequently asked questions
What must be to hand before the inspection?
The move-in record with photos as the benchmark, the tenancy agreement with a checked Schönheitsreparaturen clause, the meter numbers, the key list from the handover, any open defect notices and the status of the deposit. Without these you will record a condition but be unable to place it in context, and that context is what decides enforceability later.
What time of day should the inspection take place?
In daylight. The protection against later objections applies where defects were detectable on careful inspection. What you could not see in the dark becomes a question of interpretation. Allow enough time too: inspecting a three-room flat properly takes a realistic 45 to 60 minutes including photos, meter readings and the record.
What must never go into the record as a blanket entry?
A blanket "no defects" or "condition fine" where the inspection was not complete. If the landlord certifies a defect-free condition at the return, that can amount to a negatives Schuldanerkenntnis under § 397(2) BGB. Later damages claims regarding that condition are then excluded. Only hidden defects remain outside it.
What if the tenant does not attend or refuses to sign?
A signature cannot be compelled. Record the condition in full, note the absence or refusal with date and time, bring in a neutral person as a witness, and document without gaps using photos. Then send the record to the tenant, if no objection follows, that strengthens your position.
How many photos should a move-out inspection produce?
Per room at least one overview from two directions plus a detail shot for every item in the record. For a three-room flat, 80 to 120 images is realistic. The number is not what matters. What matters is that no area is missing: undocumented surfaces count against whoever must prove something, and for damage that is the landlord side.
How quickly must you settle after the inspection?
Promptly. Claims for changes or deterioration of the rented property expire six months after the flat is returned (§ 548(1) BGB), regardless of when the damage is noticed. For the deposit settlement itself, case law grants a reasonable review period of usually three to six months.