Move-in checklist: what to check in your accommodation

What should you check when first moving into worker accommodation?

Five things matter on arrival day: document the condition with photos, check the promised fit-out, draw up a handover record, note the meter readings and report defects immediately in writing. That half hour of effort protects you against the two most common disputes at the end of an assignment: deductions for damage that was already there, and arguments about utility costs.

Moving in is the moment that decides whether departure weeks later runs smoothly or ends in dispute. What is not documented now can hardly be proven later. This article walks through arrival day step by step — as a checklist to work through, whether you are taking a single worker room or a whole worker apartment for the team.

Step 1: document the condition — photos before unpacking

Photograph the accommodation before the first bag is unpacked. Every room in overview, plus close-ups of all existing damage: scratches, stains, broken handles, damaged furniture. Saved with a timestamp, these photos are later the evidence that the damage was already there when you moved in.

The order is deliberate: document first, then move in. As soon as cases, tools and work clothes are spread around, the original condition can no longer be captured cleanly — and a photo with your own luggage in shot makes poor evidence of the handover condition.

What to point the camera at:

• Every room in overview: bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, hallway, common room where applicable — two or three shots each from different corners
• Floors and walls: scratches in the laminate, stains in the carpet, drill holes, chipped paint
• Furniture and mattresses: the condition of beds, wardrobes, tables; lift each mattress once and photograph both sides — stains there are a classic in deposit disputes
• Kitchen appliances inside and out: oven, fridge interior, hobs, sink
• Bathroom: grouting, shower tray, taps, toilet seat
• Windows and doors: do they close? Are there cracks in the glass or damaged seals?

For teams, a clear responsibility is advisable: one person documents, collects the photos centrally (in a shared folder or company chat, for instance) and is also the contact for defects later. Twelve people who all "photographed something" are of little help in a dispute.

Step 2: check the fit-out against what was promised

Check on the first day that everything promised is present and working: beds and bedding, kitchen with appliances, Wi-Fi, washing machine, heating and hot water, parking spaces. If something is missing that was in the offer or booking confirmation, the first day is the right moment to report it — not the third week.

The checklist to tick off:

• Beds: does the number match the booking? Are mattresses, duvets, pillows and covers in usable condition? Is bed linen included or to be brought yourself?
• Kitchen: switch on the cooker, fridge, coffee machine and kettle once. Is there enough crockery and cutlery for everyone? Are there pots and pans in team size?
• Wi-Fi: get the access details and test on several devices — in the bedrooms too, not just in the hallway next to the router
• Washing machine and dryer if applicable: present, connected, clean? Where may laundry be dried?
• Heating and hot water: turn all radiators up briefly, check hot water at the shower and sink — in summer this is easily forgotten and only comes to light in October
• Bathroom: do the shower head, drain and flush work? Any mould in the grouting?
• Parking spaces: are the promised spaces actually available and suitable for the vehicle size (van height in underground car parks!)?
• Keys: have you received all agreed keys or codes? Do they work on the front door, apartment door, room door and letterbox?
• Smoke detectors: present and not taped over — that is safety, not a formality

Anything missing or not working goes on the defects list (step 5). Anything that is there but different from expected — three hobs instead of four, say — is best clarified straight away in conversation with the landlord.

For teams, checking the fit-out also includes the room allocation: who sleeps where? Best settled on the first evening, taking shift schedules into account — someone who has to be up early should not share a room with the late-shift worker. A fair allocation made once saves weeks of friction that would otherwise end up showing on site.

Step 3: draw up a handover record — even without the landlord's template

A handover record sets out in writing the condition in which you took over the accommodation: rooms, existing defects, meter readings, keys handed over — dated and signed by both sides. If the landlord does not provide one, write your own; an informal document is enough as long as the date, content and signatures are right.

With professional landlords, a record is standard. With private providers who only let occasionally it is more often missing — and that is precisely when it is valuable. A self-written record can look as simple as this: address and property, date and time of handover, a list of rooms with their condition ("bedroom 1: scratch on left wardrobe door, otherwise flawless"), meter readings, the number and type of keys handed over, signatures from both sides.

Important on defects: localise them specifically rather than describing them in general terms. "Scratch in the laminate, bedroom 2, in front of the window" is usable in a dispute — "floor shows signs of wear" is not. Refer in the record to the photos from step 1 ("see photo documentation of [date]").

If the landlord is not present in person at handover — increasingly common with key-box handovers — draw up the record anyway, photograph it, and send it to the landlord on arrival day by email or messenger asking for brief confirmation. That way the condition is documented and delivered, even without a second signature on site.

Step 4: record meter readings and the utilities arrangement

On move-in day, note and photograph the readings of the electricity, gas and water meters along with the meter numbers — provided the meters are accessible and utilities are not covered by a flat rate. At the same time, clarify what is included in the price: with most worker accommodation, utilities are included, but "mostly" is not a contractual basis.

The key question for the landlord is: is the agreed price an all-inclusive rent covering electricity, heating, water and Wi-Fi — or is something billed by consumption? If the answer is not stated expressly in the booking confirmation or contract, get it in writing; a short confirmed sentence by message is enough.

Where billing is by consumption, the documented opening readings are your protection against excessive additional charges. The photo should show the meter reading and the meter number legibly; both also belong in the handover record. On departure you repeat the procedure — the opening and closing readings together give the documented consumption.

With flat-rate prices, some wonder why bother. The answer: contracts change, assignments get extended, and some landlords reserve the right to charge extra where consumption is unusually high. Two photos take a minute and, in case of doubt, save an unpleasant discussion.

Step 5: report defects immediately — in writing and with photos

Report every defect you find at move-in to the landlord in writing the same or the next day — short, factual, with a photo. Prompt reporting makes clear that the damage did not come from you, and gives the landlord the chance to repair anything broken quickly.

A defect report needs no formality. A message such as "Good afternoon, we moved in today. On our walk-through we noticed: dripping shower head (ground-floor bathroom), faulty fridge seal, scratch on the wardrobe door in bedroom 1 — photos attached. The scratch is for documentation only; we would ask you to repair the shower and fridge when convenient" does the job completely.

Distinguish two categories as you do so: documentation defects (scratches, stains — they do not get in the way, but must not be attributed to you later) and functional defects (heating cold, Wi-Fi dead, washing machine broken — these have to be fixed). Report the former for your own protection; for the latter, ask for repair and follow up politely after a few days if nothing happens.

What does not work: collecting defects for weeks and presenting them on departure. Anyone reporting damage only at the end can hardly show it was already there at move-in — which is exactly what photos and a report from day one are for.

House rules, quiet hours and contacts: the last points on arrival day

To round off the move-in, settle the ground rules of the house and save the important contacts: house rules and quiet hours, rules on rubbish and cleaning, smoking and visitors — plus the number of the landlord or caretaker for emergencies. Five minutes that prevent later conflicts with neighbours and the landlord.

The practical points at a glance:

• Quiet hours: particularly relevant with shift work — when can you shower, do laundry, load up in the yard? In buildings with regular tenants, quiet hours are the most common point of conflict with worker occupancies
• Rubbish: which bins, where are they, when are they emptied, who takes them out?
• Cleaning: is a final clean included or is the place expected to be swept clean? Is there interim cleaning on long stays?
• Smoking: as a rule outside only — where exactly, and where do the butts go?
• Visitors and overnight guests: in worker accommodation this usually requires consent — ask beforehand rather than arguing afterwards
• Parking: use the spaces allocated, not the neighbours' — experience shows that escalates fastest
• Save contacts: landlord/caretaker with an emergency number, and clarify: who do I call if the heating fails at night or a pipe leaks?

If people on the team change later, pass these points on to the newcomers along with the handover record and photo documentation — the condition at move-in remains the benchmark for the whole occupancy.

That completes the move-in: documented, checked, reported, settled. If you are still looking for suitable accommodation for the next assignment, our enquiry form takes the search off your hands — you give the key details once, and we propose suitable accommodation from our provider network.