The moving-in checklist: day one done properly
The first day of a tenancy sets the legal foundations for everything that follows. An hour of admin at check-in prevents most of the disputes this site exists to untangle.
Before the tenant gets keys
- Documents served and receipted: the signed agreement, the written tenancy information, the How to Rent guide, gas certificate, EICR and EPC. Get a signed or emailed acknowledgement listing each document with the date.
- Right to Rent completed for every adult occupier, copies filed.
- Deposit banked and diarised: protection and prescribed information within 30 days, calendar reminder set on day one.
At check-in
- The inventory walked through and agreed: the single most valuable 45 minutes in the tenancy.
- Meters photographed, suppliers and council notified of the start date.
- Alarms tested in the tenant's presence and recorded.
- Keys counted and receipted, including windows, meter boxes and outbuildings.
- Practicalities shared: stopcock, fuse board, boiler instructions, bin days, and how to report repairs in writing.
File the lot in one place. Years later, that folder is the difference between a five-minute answer and a lost dispute.
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Start my agreement →Frequently asked questions
What documents must a tenant receive at the start of a tenancy?
The written tenancy information before signing, the How to Rent guide, the gas safety certificate, the EICR and the EPC, followed by the deposit prescribed information within 30 days of payment.
Who takes the meter readings at check-in?
Either party can, but both should have them: photographed, dated and noted on the inventory, then sent to the suppliers with the tenancy start date.