A professional check-in service for letting agents and landlords across Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and the wider West Midlands. We meet your tenant on move-in day, walk the inventory and check-in together, log the meters, hand over the keys, and get the report signed. So the condition of your property is agreed at the start, not argued over at the end.
I've stood in plenty of kitchens at check-out arguing over a worktop chip that was never logged on the way in. No record of it at the start, so as far as the scheme's concerned, it was always there. That's the trap.
Here's where most landlords and agents get caught out. The tenant moves out. The place looks rough. You want to deduct for the damage and the mess. But your check-out report is a few lines and a couple of blurry photos. The tenant disputes it. And now you're in front of an adjudicator with nothing solid to stand on. That's not bad luck. That's a weak report.
A deposit deduction is only as strong as the evidence behind it. No baseline to compare against, no dated photos, no detail, no claim. The deposit goes straight back. And if you're a letting agent, the landlord turns round and asks you why.
For an agent, that's worse than the lost money. It's the lost trust. For a landlord, it's the void dragging on while you argue. It doesn't have to go that way. Get the report right and the argument's already won before it starts.
Nine times out of ten, a dispute comes down to one question. Was it damage, or was it the place getting older? Get that line right and most of the argument disappears. So it's worth being straight about it. A deposit isn't a refurbishment fund. You can only claim for genuine financial loss, and only with evidence to back it. Here's the line.
You can usually deduct for:
You can't deduct for:
The schemes expect an itemised, evidenced claim: the damage named, a reference back to the check-in, dated photos, and a reasonable cost. A vague, lump-sum claim with no proof loses, every time. Our check-out report is built to give you exactly the evidence a scheme wants to see. For the full process, here's our guide to handling deposit disputes.
Book Your Property Inspection in Five Simple Steps
Call us on 0121 582 4070, email info@capital-cs.com, or message us on WhatsApp to discuss your requirements or set up an account.
Choose the service you need and confirm a date and time. We'll take care of the rest.
Our AIIC-accredited inspector arrives on time and carries out a thorough, systematic inspection with photographic documentation throughout.
Your detailed digital report is delivered promptly. Clear, professional, and ready to share with landlords or tenants straight away.
Have a question about a report or a deposit dispute? We're always available by phone, email, or WhatsApp to help.
Most check-out reports I see are far too vague to win a dispute. A tick-box sheet and a handful of photos doesn't cut it when a tenant challenges a deduction and an adjudicator wants proof.
We're an established, AIIC-accredited Birmingham inventory specialist, and fully insured. The accreditation matters for one reason above all. The report is independent and impartial. When the evidence comes from a neutral third party rather than from the landlord, it carries far more weight at adjudication.
And it's worth understanding how adjudication actually works. It's paper-based. No hearing, no site visit, no chance to argue your case in person. An adjudicator reads what's put in front of them and decides on the evidence. The burden of proof sits with the landlord. So your whole claim stands or falls on the document. I've seen these go both ways, and the pattern never changes. The side with the clearer, dated record wins. That's the entire game. It's also why a proper check-out earns back its cost many times over the first time a deduction is challenged.
If a report ever falls short on accuracy, we'll put it right or refund you.
A check-out is far stronger when there's a proper check-in to compare against. That's just the truth of it, and I won't pretend otherwise. But not having one doesn't leave you stranded. We can still attend and produce a detailed, photographed record of the property's condition at the end of the tenancy.
It won't carry the same comparative weight as a full check-in to check-out comparison, so a deduction based on it alone is harder to defend. Be realistic about that. But it's an honest, dated record you can work from, and it's a world away from guesswork or memory. To make the next tenancy watertight, start with a proper inventory and a signed Check-In Inspection. Here's the difference between check-in and check-out and why you really want both.
It depends on the property. Size, number of rooms, furnished or not, and location all affect the price. A one-bed flat in the city centre isn't the same job as a five-bed HMO out in Selly Oak.
One thing worth knowing. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, you can't pass a check-out or inventory fee on to the tenant in England. That cost sits with the landlord or agent. So it pays to get it right, not just to get it cheap. A weak report saves you a few pounds today and costs you the whole deposit when it matters.
Tell us the property and we'll quote it. No contracts, book per job. Get a quote.
We're based in Stechford, East Birmingham (B33), and produce check-out reports right across the city and the wider region such as Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, and out through Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.
Areas we cover
Wider region
Based in Stechford, East Birmingham (B33)
Ready when you are
Tenant moving out? Don't leave the deposit to chance. Get an accredited clerk on site and a checkout report you can stand behind.
The landlord. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord or letting agent can't charge the tenant for a check-out or inventory in England. The cost is the landlord's, even when an agent arranges it on their behalf.
It depends on the property: size, room count, whether it's furnished, and location. There's no single fee that fits every job. Tell us the address and we'll quote it, and we work per job with no contract tying you in. Remember the fee can't be passed to the tenant, so it's the landlord's call to commission a proper one.
No. The tenant doesn't have to attend, and the check-out is valid without them there. What carries weight at adjudication is the dated photographic evidence and the comparison against the signed check-in, not who was in the room on the day. Plenty of tenants do hand the keys over at the check-out, which is fine, but it isn't required.
We can still help. We'll attend and produce a full, photographed record of the property's end-of-tenancy condition. It won't carry the same comparative weight as a proper check-in to check-out comparison, so a deduction based on it is harder to defend, but it's an honest, detailed record and far better than guesswork. For the next tenancy, start with a proper inventory and check-in.
Our job is the evidence. We produce the independent, dispute-ready report that supports your claim. We don't set the deductions, negotiate with the tenant, or act as the adjudicator. Keeping the report neutral is exactly what gives it weight if it ends up in front of a deposit scheme.
We record whether smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are present and flag anything missing or obviously not working, so you can sort it before the next let. Bear in mind that testing and maintaining alarms to the legal standard is a separate landlord duty in its own right. Our report points out what needs attention; it isn't an alarm compliance certificate.
On, or as close as possible to, the day the tenant hands back the keys, and before anyone else enters or any cleaning or repairs start. The moment someone else is in the property, the evidence gets muddier. Same-day inspection slots are available, and we'll have the report back to you fast within 24 hours.
