Check-ins
Meters and keys: the check-in details that decide expensive disputes
3 min read
Most attention at check-in goes on condition — the scratches, the scuffs, the state of the carpets. But two of the most expensive arguments a tenancy can produce have nothing to do with condition at all. They are about who owes for the gas used before move-in, and how many keys come back at the end. Both are settled in seconds if the check-in recorded them properly, and drag on for weeks if it didn't.
Meters: read them, and read all of them
An opening meter reading is the line that divides one occupier's bill from the next. At minimum, an electricity reading is essential; gas, water and any others should be read wherever they exist. For each meter, record its location, its serial number, and every reading it shows — some meters display more than one rate, and heating or cooling meters can show two values at once. Note which key opens the meter cupboard while you are there.
Two practical traps. First, smart meters are the ones most often missed — the reading is on the in-home display or behind a menu, not on a mechanical dial, and it is easy to walk past. Take it anyway. Second, at check-out a changed serial number means the meter was replaced during the tenancy, so always read the serial and not just the number — otherwise a new meter's low reading looks like a billing error.
Keys: count them, test them, and record who has them
Keys are security, and a full set replaced after a tenancy — especially anything on a restricted or fob system — is a genuine cost. A good check-in does more than count them:
- Test every single key in the lock it claims to open. A key that turns out not to work is discovered far more cheaply on day one than on the day the tenant moves out.
- Record each key's type and purpose — front door, window lock, communal entrance, garage, mail fob, alarm fob.
- Note how many sets were handed over and to whom, naming any third party (an agent, a guarantor) who holds a set.
- At check-out, the count handed back must match the count handed over. That only works if the handover count was written down.
A meter reading takes ten seconds and settles a bill nobody can otherwise prove. It is the highest return on effort at any check-in.
Why the boring fields are worth the discipline
Condition disputes are argued over judgement; meter and key disputes are argued over facts that either were or weren't recorded. There is no fair-wear-and-tear grey area — either the opening reading exists or it doesn't, either the key count matches or it doesn't. That makes them the easiest disputes in the whole tenancy to prevent, and the most frustrating to lose. InventorySafe captures meters and keys as first-class, structured fields — location, serial, every reading, key count and recipient — with the media to back each one, so the cheap facts never turn into expensive arguments.
Common questions
- Should meter readings be taken at check-in?
- Yes. An opening reading for each meter — electricity at minimum, plus gas and water where present — divides the previous occupier's usage from the new tenant's, and is the only reliable way to settle a billing dispute later. Record the location, serial number and every reading shown.
- Do smart meters still need a reading at check-in?
- Yes, and they are the ones most often missed. The reading sits on the in-home display or behind a menu rather than on a dial, so it is easy to overlook — but it is exactly as important as a traditional meter reading for splitting bills correctly.
- Can a landlord charge a tenant for lost keys?
- Yes, where the check-in recorded how many keys were handed over and the tenant returns fewer. The reasonable cost of replacing missing keys — and, for security-rated or fob systems, of re-cutting or reprogramming — can be a valid deduction, provided the handover count was documented.
- What should be recorded about keys at check-in?
- Every key should be tested in its lock, and the report should record each key's type and purpose, the total number of sets handed over, and who holds them, including any third party. At check-out the returned count is compared against this record.