Inventories
Move-in photos: the evidence most deposit disputes are lost without
3 min read
More deposit disputes are lost for want of a dated photograph than for any other reason. When someone says a mark 'was already there', a photo taken on move-in day settles it in seconds — and its absence turns the same point into an unwinnable argument. Photographs are the backbone of a defensible tenancy record, but only if they are taken properly, and that is a lower bar than most people think.
The date is the whole point
A photograph's value in a dispute comes from when it was taken. An image proving a scratch existed at the start of the tenancy is decisive; the same image with no reliable date proves almost nothing, because it could have been taken the day the tenant moved out. Most phones record the capture date in the file's metadata, and a genuine check-in ties each image to the day of inspection. Screenshots, forwarded copies and images stripped of their metadata lose that anchor — so keep originals, not copies.
Photograph the things people argue about
Blanket wide shots of tidy rooms rarely decide anything. The photos that matter are close, specific and cover the places deductions come from:
- Existing marks, scuffs, chips and stains — photographed close enough to see, with a wide shot to place them in the room.
- Flooring and carpets, especially at doorways and in high-traffic areas where wear is later argued.
- Kitchen and bathroom surfaces, the oven, seals and grouting — the usual cleaning-dispute battlegrounds.
- Walls and paintwork, windows, and any appliance or fitting whose condition might be questioned.
A photo taken at check-out is worthless without a comparable image from the start of the tenancy. Disputes are decided on pairs — the same thing, at both ends, both dated.
Pairs, not piles
Evidence works in matched pairs: a check-in photo of an item and a check-out photo of the same item, so the change — or the absence of change — is plain. A pile of check-out photos with nothing to compare them to leaves an adjudicator unable to say what altered during the tenancy. This is also why late photos are so often ignored: an image produced after the fact, with no dated counterpart from move-in day, cannot be tested and carries little weight.
Quantity, quality and where they live
Take more than you think you need — storage is free and a missing photo is not. Shoot in good light, get close enough that detail is legible, and don't rely on memory to fill gaps. Just as important, store the originals somewhere they will survive the tenancy: the images matter most a year or two later, exactly when a phone has been replaced or a folder deleted. A record you cannot retrieve is no record at all.
This is precisely what a proper inventory system is for. InventorySafe captures dated, captioned photographs against each item at check-in and pairs them at check-out, so the evidence is specific, comparable and still there when a dispute finally surfaces.
Common questions
- Do move-in photos need to be dated?
- Effectively yes — the date is what gives them their value. A photo proving a defect existed at the start of the tenancy is decisive, while an undated image proves little because it could have been taken at move-out. Keep the original files, which usually carry the capture date in their metadata, rather than screenshots or forwarded copies that strip it.
- What should I photograph when I move in?
- Focus on what gets disputed: existing marks, scuffs and stains close up, flooring and carpets (especially at doorways), kitchen and bathroom surfaces and the oven, plus walls, windows and any appliance whose condition might be questioned. Take a wide shot to place each detail in the room, and more photos than you think you need.
- Why are my check-out photos not enough on their own?
- Because a dispute is decided by comparison. A check-out photo only shows the end state; without a dated check-in photo of the same thing, there is nothing to prove what changed during the tenancy. Evidence works in matched pairs — the same item, at both ends, both dated.
- Are photos taken later still useful?
- Much less so. Images produced after the fact, with no dated counterpart from the start of the tenancy, cannot be reliably tested and are often given little weight or ignored. The time to capture the evidence is at check-in and again at check-out, not once a dispute has already begun.