The check-out report is the document your landlord will use to justify any deductions from your deposit. It records the condition of the property on the day you hand back the keys, and it's compared against whatever move-in evidence exists (the inventory, the check-in report, or your own documentation) to identify what has changed during your tenancy.
If your landlord commissions a professional check-out report, it'll typically be produced by an inventory clerk who walks through the property photographing and noting the condition of every room, surface, fixture, and item of furniture. This report then becomes the primary evidence the landlord relies on if they raise a deposit dispute.
The problem for tenants is that you usually have no control over this process. The landlord chooses the clerk, decides when the check-out happens, and receives the report. If the clerk notes issues that you disagree with, or photographs the property in unflattering conditions (before you have finished cleaning, for example), you may struggle to challenge the findings unless you have your own evidence.
This is why creating your own move-out documentation is essential. Photograph every room on the day you finish cleaning and hand back the keys. Capture the same angles and details as your move-in photos, and timestamp everything. If a dispute arises, you will have your own independent evidence of the condition you left the property in, rather than relying solely on the landlord's version.
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