Why We Inspect Your Flat Twice When a Tenant Moves Out

About 20 days before a tenant leaves, we walk the flat room by room. On the day they hand over the keys, we do it again and compare against the move-in record. Here is how it works and what it protects.

Most deposit fights in Mumbai start the same way: the tenant hands over the keys, someone notices a broken chimney or stained walls, and nobody can agree on what the flat looked like before. For an owner living abroad, that argument happens over WhatsApp with no way to see the flat.

So for every flat we manage, a tenant's exit gets two inspections, not one.

Inspection 1: the pre-exit walkthrough, about 20 days before

Once a tenant gives notice, our field team visits about 20 days before the move-out date and walks the flat with the same room-by-room checklist we use at move-in. This visit is about planning, not penalties:

The tenant knows early what we have noticed, and has time to fix small things themselves.
You know early what work the flat will need, so painting or repairs can be lined up for the day it is empty.
We can start marketing the flat with a realistic ready date, which cuts the empty weeks between tenants.

A move-out with no surprises is planned three weeks earlier.

Inspection 2: the move-out inspection, once the flat is empty

After the tenant vacates, we inspect again and record every item as Good, Fair or Poor, with a note and a photo for anything that is not Good. The report covers:

Entrance and main door, living room, kitchen, each bedroom, each bathroom and the balcony
Walls and paint, flooring, windows and locks, switches and fittings, fans and ACs, wardrobes
Kitchen platform, sink, chimney and signs of pests or moisture
Bathroom fittings, geyser, drainage and exhaust
Utilities: electricity and water meter readings, the MCB board, gas, building water supply and intercom

The report is signed by our agent, dated and shared with you in the TND app. Because the flat is already empty, the tenant does not need to sign it.

What a real report looks like

On a two-bedroom move-out we inspected in October 2026, both bathrooms, the bedroom wardrobes, flooring and fittings were all marked Good. The report flagged walls needing two coats of paint in several rooms, a fan regulator and a living-room window lock to replace, two living-room ACs due for a service, a kitchen chimney that had stopped working and the balcony walls needing paint. It also recorded that the intercom and the building water connection had been disconnected. With that list, the owner could approve the work in one go instead of hearing about it piece by piece.

How it connects to the deposit

The move-out report is compared against the move-in record. Normal wear is expected; damage beyond normal use, unauthorised changes or excess drill holes are charged to the tenant at actual cost and deducted from the security deposit.
We hold back Rs 20,000 from the deposit for 45 days after the tenant vacates, to cover utility bills, pending dues or repairs that show up after the inspection. The rest is settled once the deductions are agreed.
Every deduction is backed by a line in the report and a photo, so the conversation with the tenant is about facts, not memory.

Frequently asked questions

When does TND inspect a flat before the tenant leaves?

About 20 days before the move-out date, using the same room-by-room checklist as at move-in, so the tenant, the owner and our team know early what needs attention.

How much of the deposit is held back after a tenant moves out?

Rs 20,000 is held for 45 days after the tenant vacates to cover utility bills, pending dues or repairs found later. Damage beyond normal wear is charged at actual cost and deducted from the deposit.

Own a flat in Mumbai, Thane or Navi Mumbai? Book a call and tell me what you are dealing with.

Warmly,
Yanik

Own a flat in Mumbai while living abroad?

TND Listings manages, sells and helps you buy property across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, with one point of contact.

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