The owner remembers the apartment as it was on the day he handed it over: fresh paint, every tap working, the AC cooling well. The tenant remembers it differently: a scratch on the kitchen counter that was already there, a bathroom door that never closed properly. Both may be honest. The problem is that neither of them has anything to prove it.
The first day decides the last
The simplest way to avoid an argument when the lease ends is a written, photographed record of the property’s condition on the day the tenant moves in. Not a general sentence like “the apartment is in good condition”, but room by room: walls, floors, doors, windows, taps, the heater, the AC units, the electrical points, with photos and a date.
What a good handover report includes
- Photos of every room from more than one angle, plus close-ups of anything already damaged.
- A check that the plumbing, electrics, heater and AC are working, not only that they look fine.
- Meter readings and the number of keys handed over.
- The signature of both parties, or their written acceptance of the report.
Wear or damage?
Not everything that changes over a year is the tenant’s fault. Paint fades, hinges loosen and the AC needs regular maintenance; that is normal wear from living in a home. A broken tile, a hole in the wall or a burnt socket from misuse is different. Comparing the two reports, the first day and the last, makes the difference clear without raising voices.
Who decides who pays?
The lease does. A clear lease, with a clear condition report, answers most questions on its own. In Mawadda we act as a neutral party: we document the condition, price any repair from published rates, and show who usually bears it under the lease, so the decision rests on facts rather than memories.
The handover inspection is available on its own, without a subscription, priced in the shop by the size of the unit.