Landlord Property Inspection Checklist for Dubai Rentals

A landlord property inspection checklist for Dubai should do more than list rooms. It should test every tap, socket, door and AC unit at move-in, photograph each item with a number and location, and be signed by both you and the tenant. Then the move-out inspection is a line-by-line comparison, not an argument.

This checklist is written from the inspector's side: what to switch on, run and record, not just what to look at. It's by the engineers who we are at Property Snagging DXB, who carry out move-in and move-out inspections for Dubai landlords and tenants.

How do you use this landlord inspection checklist?

Give every item a number and one of five condition codes. Use the same numbers and codes at move-out, so each line can be compared directly.

What should you prepare before the inspection?

A move-in inspection only works if everything can actually be tested. Before the day:

• Make sure electricity, water and cooling are connected.
• Have the unit empty of your own items, and cleaned.
• Agree a time when the tenant can attend, in daylight.
• Print or load the checklist, and charge your phone for photos.
• Have the inventory, keys, access cards and remotes ready to hand over.

Rule of thumb: anything you can't test on the day gets code N and a re-check date, never an assumed G.

The tested checklist, area by area

Each line starts with what to do, not just what to look at. Faults found and recorded on day one can't later be blamed on the wrong person.

Entrance and doors

• Open, close and lock the main door with each key; record how many keys work.
• Try every internal door: it should close fully and the handle should hold.
• Photograph door frames and the hallway walls and floor.

Living areas and bedrooms

• Walk each wall and ceiling with your phone torch at a low angle; photograph every mark.
• Check the floor along walkways and under where furniture will stand.
• Open, close and lock every window and balcony door; operate blinds and curtains.
• Open every wardrobe door and drawer; check shelves and rails.

Kitchen

• Run the sink tap for two minutes, then check under the sink with a dry tissue.
• Switch on the hob, oven, extractor fan and each supplied appliance.
• Open every cupboard and drawer; check hinges, handles and shelves.
• Photograph worktops, splashback and sealant lines.

Bathrooms

• Run every tap and shower; flush each toilet and check it refills and stops.
• Pour a little water on the floor; it should flow to the drain.
• Check under basins and around toilets for drips.
• Photograph grout, sealant, mirrors and any signs of damp or mould.

AC and electrics

• Switch on the AC in each room and confirm the room cools.
• Check ceiling grilles for drips after the AC has run.
• Try every light switch, and charge a phone from every socket.
• Switch on the water heater and confirm hot water at each tap.

Windows and balcony

• Lock and unlock every window; check for cracked glass.
• Check balcony railings for movement and the floor for cracks or stains.
• Pour water on the balcony floor; it should flow to the drain, not the door.

Keys, meters and inventory

• Photograph the electricity and water meter readings.
• Count keys, access cards, parking cards, mailbox keys and remotes, and list them.
• Tick off every supplied furniture item and appliance against the inventory.

Which photos will hold up at move-out?

Photos only help later if they can be matched to the same spot. Use the same method for every item:

• Wide shot: the whole wall, floor or fitting, so the location is obvious.
• Close-up: the mark or fault itself, filling the frame.
• Label: a small sticky note with the item number in the shot.
• Date: keep the original files, which store the date taken; don't send only screenshots.
• Video: one slow walk-through of the whole unit as a backup.

How should the record be signed and kept?

Both you and the tenant should sign every page of the move-in report, with the photos and inventory attached. Each of you keeps a complete copy. If you agree to repair something, list it with a date, and update the record when it's done.

Keep the report for the whole tenancy and until the deposit is settled. If a disagreement can't be resolved between you, the Rental Dispute Centre decides, and a signed, dated record is what both sides will rely on.

General information, not legal advice. Check your tenancy contract for your own terms.

What happens at move-out?

Use the same checklist, in the same order, with the same item numbers. For each line, compare the move-out code and photo with the move-in one. Only the differences need discussing.

Not every difference is damage. Tenants are generally expected to return the property in the condition they received it, apart from normal wear and tear. Dubai's tenancy law, Law No. 26 of 2007, allows a landlord to take a security deposit and requires it to be refunded at the end of the tenancy, in full or less deductions, so the comparison is what supports any deduction.

When should a landlord bring in an inspector?

A careful self-inspection can be enough for a small, unfurnished unit. An independent inspector is worth considering when:

• the unit is furnished, with a long inventory;
• you live abroad and can't attend the move-in;
• the unit is high value, or has had problems with a previous tenant;
• you want testing with instruments, such as a thermal camera for hidden leaks.

Our tenancy inspection service tests and photographs each item in a fixed, numbered order and gives both sides the same record. A report records condition; it doesn't decide deductions or guarantee the outcome of a dispute.

Landlord property inspection checklist: FAQs