Most landlords will ask tenants to sign an inventory at the beginning of a tenancy to record the condition of the property and furnishings, and this will be checked against condition at the end of the term. Sometimes a professional inventory company will be used, but the landlord may prefer to use a pro forma inventory form.

If no formal inventory process is used by the landlord, tenants might like to consider preparing their own inventory when they move in so they have a record of the state of the property themselves. Shelter publishes a pro forma that could be used. It is also handy to take photographs (with the date captured if possible); remember to check and photograph ‘hidden’ areas, such as inside a fridge, washing machine detergent drawer or meter cupboard, because these can often be dirty.

When you are getting ready to leave a tenanted property, it is a sensible precaution to check the start of tenancy report against the current state of the property so you can put right anything that is your responsibility, clean the property, touch up paintwork, replacement any missing crockery or linen, and generally return the property to the same position it was in when you moved in.

It is always a good idea to be present at the date of the check out to ensure you can discuss any issues that are flagged up at the time.

If the landlord has arranged for the property to be professionally cleaned before the tenancy starts, they will expect the same level of cleaning at the end of the tenancy. It is a simple matter to find a professional cleaning company online and it's not that expensive.

All of this is designed to avoid disputes at the end of the tenancy and to make sure that the tenant gets back as much of the security deposit as possible.

Remember to leave all keys behind. It can be an expensive oversight if the landlord has to change the locks and passes the cost on to the tenant.

And finally, don’t leave it looking like this ...