Document the room condition at check-out

The check-out inspection is your evidence for everything that happens later — deposit returns, damage claims, disputes. Spend 15 minutes doing it right and you protect yourself from months of arguing.

When to inspect

Before the resident leaves, if possible. Walk through together; differences are easier to discuss in person.
Within 24 hours of departure, if not possible together. Document promptly while the room is still as the resident left it.

What to document

Photos and video

Take both. Photos for stills you can attach to a dispute; a short video for context.

For each space the resident used:

Wide-angle shot of the whole room.
Close-ups of any damage, marks, or missing items.
The bed area (linen condition, mattress).
Furniture surfaces (desk, wardrobe interior, drawers).
The window and curtains.
The bathroom if private — toilet, sink, shower, walls.
The kitchen if shared — fridge shelf, dishwasher, any pots used.
Anything broken or significantly worn.

Take date-stamped shots. Your phone does this automatically; verify by checking the file metadata.

A short written note

Make a quick list of what you observed:

"Check-out 2026-05-25, 10:00. Room left clean. Curtain hook broken (photo). Mug missing from shared kitchen (photo of cupboard). Otherwise as expected."

Keep this in the Inbox by messaging the resident:

"Did the check-out walkthrough this morning. Room looked good overall — noted one small thing: the curtain hook by the window is broken. Will follow up tomorrow with whether anything needs to come out of the deposit."

This message becomes part of the official record.

Compare against check-in

You ideally have check-in photos to compare. If you don't have those — start taking them. A quick photo walkthrough at every check-in protects every check-out from here on.

What counts as normal wear, vs. damage

Normal wear: light marks on walls, small worn spots on rugs, a mug or two missing over time, slight grout discoloration.
Damage: broken furniture, holes in walls beyond pin-prick, significant stains, missing significant items, broken appliances.

You shouldn't deduct from deposits for normal wear. You should for damage.

When you find damage after the resident is gone

Photograph and document within 24 hours.
Send a clear, factual message to the resident in the Inbox: "Hi, doing the post-check-out walkthrough, I found [specific damage]. [Photo]. What happened, in your view? I'd like to handle this fairly."
Wait 24–48 hours for their response. Many residents acknowledge and agree to a fair deduction.
If they don't respond, or deny, contact support to claim from the deposit through the booking page. See If a resident disputes a charge with their bank.

What NOT to do

Don't post anything publicly. Reviews aren't the place for damage accusations.
Don't change the deposit-deduction story after the fact. What you document in the first 24 hours is what carries weight.
Don't keep the deposit "just in case" — request specific deductions for specific damage with evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How long do I have to claim damage? A: Contact support to claim from the deposit as soon as practical after check-out. After that, support's ability to help is limited.

Q: The resident disagrees with my damage claim. What happens? A: Coliving support reviews both sides' evidence and decides. The party with stronger documentation usually prevails.

Q: Can I deduct for items I think the resident might have damaged but I'm not sure? A: No. Deductions need evidence linking the resident to the damage. "It wasn't broken before, and now it is, and they're the only person who used the room" is reasonable evidence; "I think they probably caused it" isn't.

Q: The room is clean but the kitchen is a mess. Can I deduct? A: Yes if your house rules clearly required them to clean the kitchen before leaving and you can document the state.