NovInventory and condition report for an apartment
This is the dullest document in the whole of ownership and simultaneously the one every money dispute turns on. When a tenant moves out and you find a chipped worktop, the question of whether it was intact at move-in is settled not by memory or fairness but by a piece of paper with two signatures and a date. Without one, withholding anything from the deposit is practically impossible.
What the document is
There are really two, and they are often confused. The inventory is a list: what is in the apartment and how many, down to the number of chairs and remotes. The condition report is an assessment: the state of the apartment itself and of each listed item on a specific date.
In practice they are drawn up as one document, and that is right. What matters is that it is signed by both sides. Photographs without a signed list are your word against the tenant's. A signed list means the parties agreed: on that date, this was the position.
Give the report a stable identity and version
The header should identify the report ID and version, project, building, exact unit, any parking or storage, lease, inspection date and time, event type—developer handover, check-in, interim update, check-out or sale—and attendees. Use the same room names in the plan and schedule.
Preserve the first executed version rather than overwriting it. A correction creates a new version with its reason, date and changed rows, while the earlier file remains archived. A developer handover record does not replace a tenant check-in after fitting, owner occupation or later repairs.
Separate quantity, condition, cleanliness and operation
Give every line independent fields for quantity, physical condition and identified defect, cleanliness and operation within the limits of the check. A refrigerator can be clean but not switch on; a sofa usable but stained; a wall undamaged but dirty.
A rating can assist only where the scale is defined and supported by a description. Good or satisfactory without location, size and nature of the issue is not repeatable. Record odour, damp indicators and pests as observations without diagnosing their cause.
Use persistent room, item and viewpoint IDs
Give every area a short ID such as KITCHEN-01 or BEDROOM-02 and each item an ID connected to that room. Follow one sequence for walls, floor, ceiling, doors, windows and built-ins and use repeatable orientation points so check-out mirrors check-in rather than creating an unrelated album.
Every image should link to a row and plan position. Use an overview for location, a close-up for the issue and a label image for the model and serial. Where there is no serial or the label can be removed, add the model, dimensions, distinctive features and overall view; a label alone does not prove the whole appliance's condition.
When to draw it up
| Moment | Why |
|---|---|
| Handover from the developer | To record the original condition and defects before anyone has lived there |
| Before a tenant moves in | The baseline for later comparison and for deposit deductions |
| When the tenant moves out | Comparison with the original record is what determines the deduction |
| Before a sale | To know what is included in the deal and avoid arguing about furniture afterwards |
The move-in and move-out records only work as a pair. One without the other is close to useless.
What to include
- Room by room. Each room as its own section, including balcony, bathrooms and storage.
- Furniture and appliances item by item. Not "kitchen appliances" but "refrigerator, model, serial number, condition". Serial numbers distinguish your appliance from a substituted one.
- Condition in words, not as a grade. Not "good" but "2 cm chip on the right corner of the worktop" — a grade is subjective, a description is checkable.
- Meter readings for water and electricity on the date of the record.
- The number of keys, access cards and remotes.
- Existing defects. Recording them protects the tenant too: they should not answer for what preceded them.
- Date, signatures of both parties, and a copy for each.
Keep a separate register for keys, access and meters
For every key, card, remote, parking pass and digital access, record an ID, purpose, quantity, holder, issue date, condition, replacement cost under the current record and return date. Do not place a working code in the general report; record its issue and secure storage instead.
For water and power, retain the meter number, location, unit, reading, image and confirming party. Where building management produces the reading, attach its record and period. A reading difference is not the final amount due without the tariff, period, prior balance and allocation of shared charges.
An uninspected area is not clear
Use distinct states: inspected, inaccessible, absent, not connected, visually observed but not tested, or specialist review required. A locked cabinet, disconnected air conditioner, inaccessible balcony or missing water supply should not receive a no-defect result.
An inventory and condition report is a visual descriptive record rather than an investigation of wiring, waterproofing, structure, fire systems or concealed pipework. Switching equipment on shows only observed operation at that moment. Record a concern for the relevant specialist without diagnosing the cause.
A signature confirms an identified version and can carry reservations
Both parties should receive the same file and a fair opportunity to review it. Where a joint inspection is not possible, the lease should give a written comment period after access; every comment is answered and an agreed change produces a new version or executed schedule.
State whether the signature confirms agreement with condition, receipt of the copy or agreement subject to listed reservations. During the tenancy, a repair, appliance replacement, permitted alteration, insurance event or interim inspection belongs in a dated change log with evidence and parties rather than overwriting the original baseline.
How to photograph
Shoot so that a year later the image can be tied to a place and a time. A wide shot of the room from a corner, then the details. Each appliance in full, plus a separate shot of the plate with model and serial number. Meters with legible digits. Defects with a scale: a coin or ruler beside them, or the photograph cannot tell a two-centimetre chip from a twenty-centimetre one.
Leave the date on in the camera settings and keep the originals rather than copies forwarded through a messenger, which strip the metadata. Store the photographs in the cloud alongside the document itself.
Preserve digital evidence as a controlled file set
For each original image or video, retain the filename, receipt time, author, device where available, related report ID and checksum. SWGDE recommends hashing before and after copying and before storage for later integrity checking. This is a technical control rather than automatic proof of authenticity or legal weight.
EXIF and device time can assist but may be absent, wrong or altered. Messaging services do not all handle files the same way: preserve the device original, an archive copy and a separate working copy instead of relying on one general metadata assumption. Restrict access and keep passports, access codes and unnecessary personal or security information outside the frame.
The four mistakes that repeat most often
- Photographs only, with no list and no signatures. Little evidential value.
- An inventory made once and never updated between tenants. After two tenancies it describes a different apartment.
- No move-out record. Nothing to compare against, and the deduction becomes an argument.
- Condition described as a grade. "Satisfactory" means nothing and helps neither side.
The link to the contract
The inventory is attached to the lease as an annex and referred to in the body of the contract — otherwise it formally sits outside the parties' obligations. The contract should state that deductions from the deposit are made on the basis of a comparison between the move-in and move-out records, allowing for fair wear and tear. The rest of the wording is covered in the lease agreement checklist.
Calculate a deposit deduction from evidenced loss
Compare the same check-in and check-out row, identify the change, cause and responsibility, then attach the lease basis, image and invoice or reasoned quotation. Article 618 of Cambodia's Civil Code distinguishes ordinary wear from tenant-fault damage; the particular clause and deduction need legal review.
Do not automatically charge the full cost of a new item. Consider age, quality, expected life, entry condition, tenancy duration, remaining utility and repairability. TDS methodology warns against betterment—putting the landlord in a better position through new-for-old replacement. This is a useful international calculation approach rather than a mandatory Cambodian formula. The deposit statement should show the claim, calculation, undisputed balance and return date.
If you are not in Cambodia
The inventory has to be made by someone on the ground — it cannot be done over video, because signatures and close inspection are required. That may be your representative, an agent or the management company. Agree in advance that the signed document and the original photographs reach you the same day, not "when there's time". More on setting this up is in the guide to remote ownership.
Preparing to let? We can advise what to include for your specific property and how to structure move-in and move-out so deposit disputes are settled by the document.
Ask about your propertyor on TelegramFrequently asked questions
Why do I need an inventory if I have photographs?
Photographs show condition but do not answer how many items there were, or what condition both sides agreed they were in. An inventory signed by tenant and owner records that agreement: both accepted that on that date things were as described. Without signatures, photographs remain your word against theirs.
When should the inventory be made?
Three times: at handover from the developer, before each tenant moves in, and when they move out. The move-in and move-out records are compared with each other — and that comparison is what determines any deduction from the deposit.
What if the tenant refuses to sign?
Do not hand over the keys. Refusing to sign an inventory before move-in is a refusal to record the starting condition, and proving damage later becomes practically impossible. If the tenant disagrees with a particular item, it is better to record their objection in the document and sign with that reservation than not to sign at all.
Sources
Practice with landlords in Phnom Penh · NovAsia corpus on letting and handover · checked July 2026. A statutory form of inventory or condition report for Cambodia is not confirmed in this review — a practical structure is described instead. This content is for general information only and is not legal advice.
Template: inventory and condition report — a CSV table that opens in Excel and Google Sheets. It is a working draft, not a legal document: the fields should be adjusted to the specific unit and contract terms.