Inventory report (check-in and check-out) in Glasgow

Local tips for Glasgow

Renting in Glasgow: the local picture

16.9% of households in Glasgow rent privately (above the Scotland average of 12.9%), so inventory and check-out reports are everyday work for local landlords.

66.7% live in purpose-built flats and 1.7% in converted or shared houses, including bedsits — property types where a room-by-room inventory and photo record pay off at deposit return.

Homes in Glasgow: 4.9% detached, 13.9% semi-detached, 12.3% terraced and 66.7% purpose-built flats (Scotland: 23.9%, 23.3%, 18.2% and 32.4%).

Source: Scotland's Census 2022 (NRS) (town figures).

Getting to know Glasgow

Glasgow is in the Glasgow City council area, Scotland.

Postcode-wise, Glasgow spans 46 districts: G1 (Merchant City), about 4,131 households; G2 (Blythswood Hill), about 1,506 households; G3 (Anderston, Finnieston, Garnethill and Park), about 8,713 households; G4 (Calton, Cowcaddens, Drygate and Kelvinbridge), about 5,669 households; G5 (Gorbals), about 5,858 households; G11 (Broomhill, Partick and Partickhill), about 12,067 households; G12 (West End, Cleveden, Dowanhill and Hillhead), about 11,282 households; G13 (Anniesland, Knightswood and Yoker), about 15,936 households (2011 Census households, via Doogal).

Living just outside? This page also covers the smaller places nearby: Gartloch (~6 miles east).

Next-door postcode districts: PA4 (Renfrew); G81 (Dalmuir); ML5 (Coatbridge); PA1 (Paisley – Central & East and Northeast); PA2 (Paisley – South); PA8 (Erskine).

Your corner of Glasgow

The middle of Glasgow is in the G2 postcode district. Source: ONS Postcode Directory, nearest postcode to the built-up area centre.

Nearby towns

Other checks in Glasgow

What’s involved

• A room-by-room record of condition and contents at the start of the tenancy (check-in), ideally mirrored at check-out.
• Photos and/or video with timestamps; meter readings; key schedules; appliance serials where useful.
• Tenant (or contract-holder) invitation to comment and sign / acknowledge within a sensible window.
• Independent clerks are common; landlords or agents can compile their own if thorough and fair — schemes care about quality of evidence, not a magic letterhead.
• No official public register of inventory clerks — ask for a sample report and how they date and photograph each room.

How long a typical visit takes

• Often 45–90 minutes for a furnished 1–2 bed flat.
• Often 1.5–3 hours for a larger furnished house or HMO with many items.
• Unfurnished shells are quicker; high-spec furnished lets take longer.
• Allow extra time for meters, outbuildings, and poor light (photos suffer at dusk).

What the landlord must have ready

• Confirmed move-in date, address, and who will attend (tenant, clerk, agent).
• All keys, fobs, parking permits, alarm codes — listed and tested.
• Utilities: gas, electricity, water meter locations and in-date readings.
• Forwarding / email for sending the report copy to the tenant promptly.
• Any known pre-existing defects you want clearly marked (so they’re not blamed later).
• Deposit scheme details (which scheme, protection deadline) — the inventory supports disputes; it doesn’t replace protection.

Tips to prepare

• Clean to the standard you expect at check-out before the inventory — photos freeze whatever’s there.
• Open curtains; replace blown bulbs; empty cupboards so condition is visible.
• Photograph meters, boiler pressure, smoke/CO alarm locations, and every room from two angles.
• Note brand and condition of sofas, mattresses, white goods — “mark on left arm” beats “sofa OK”.
• Give tenants a clear deadline to raise amendments; keep the signed PDF with the tenancy file.
• At check-out, use the same structure as check-in so comparisons are fair.
• This is best practice, not law. Deposit protection rules are law — protect on time and serve prescribed information for your nation/scheme.

How often it’s required

Friendly summary only — not legal advice. Rules can change. Use the official sources linked below before relying on this.

Official sources

Official references (opened / checked 26 Oct 2026) — not a substitute for the full text on those sites.

• DfC — landlord’s checklist for new private tenancies
• mygov.scot — what to give a private tenant

Common questions

• Do landlords legally need an inventory?
• How long does a check-in inventory take?
• What should be included in a landlord inventory report?
• Is an inventory the same as a certificate?
• When should the inventory be done — before or after the tenant moves in?
• How do inventory reports help with deposit disputes?
• Can a landlord do their own inventory?
• How long should I keep inventory photos and reports?

Answers sit in the sections above and on the Inventory & check-in reports hub FAQ.

Scotland rules in brief

Deposits: lodge deposits with an approved scheme within 30 working days; a check-in report helps if there's a dispute. Also see landlord rules for Glasgow. Full Inventory & check-in reports rules by nation · Quick guide · mygov.scot.

Frequently asked questions

More questions about inventory reports? See the Inventory & check-in reports FAQ.