The Move-Out Inspection: How to Prepare
Short answer: A landlord with several apartments must hold the inspection within 2 weeks of learning you've moved out, give you at least 1 week's written notice, and hand you the report (section 187(3)-(4) of the Danish Rent Act). You can't be charged for anything not in the report. With only one home, claims are due within 2 weeks of moving out.
The last moving box is packed, and only one thing is left: the fraflytningssyn (move-out inspection). This is where it's decided whether you get your whole deposit back. The rules are strict – for the landlord. If you know them, they can work for you.
The Rules: Does the Landlord Have Several Homes or Just One?
| Landlord with several homes | Landlord with one home | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | Required – within 2 weeks of the landlord learning you've moved out | Not required |
| Invitation | In writing, at least 1 week before | – |
| Report | At the inspection – or sent within 2 weeks if you weren't there | – |
| Deadline for claims | 2 weeks after the inspection, and only what's in the report | 2 weeks after the moving-out day |
If a landlord with several homes doesn't follow the rules on the inspection, invitation and report, the claim for refurbishment lapses entirely (section 187(5)). The deadlines don't apply to hidden damage that couldn't be seen in an ordinary walkthrough. The 1-week notice can only be shortened if you've agreed to it with the landlord after the tenancy was terminated.
Checklist: The Last Days Before the Inspection
You took over the home clean (section 89 of the Rent Act), and you must hand it back in the same condition. So the cleaning is your job.
- Kitchen: oven, hob, cooker hood and grease filter; fridge and freezer defrosted and wiped; cupboards inside
- Bathroom: limescale on tiles, taps and shower; drains cleaned; toilet
- Whole home: windows on the inside, frames, skirting boards, doors and switches; floors washed
- Empty cupboards, basement storage and any loft storage
- Collect all keys – including for the letterbox, basement and bike storage
Document Before You Hand Over
- Take dated photos and video of every room – including what's in good order.
- Photograph the electricity, water and heating meters so the numbers can be read.
- Dig out the move-in report and your defects list so you can compare point by point.
- Hand in the keys against a receipt showing the date and number of keys. The deadline for the inspection – and, with a landlord who has only one home, the deadline for the claim – typically runs from when you hand in the keys.
On the Day
Turn up if you possibly can – ideally with someone who can act as a witness. Go through the report point by point and compare it with your photos and the move-in report. According to the explanatory notes to the law, your signature on the report is, as a starting point, only a receipt showing you've received it – unless it clearly says you also accept the claims. So read the text by the signature field. A practical tip: if you disagree, write "Received – not accepted" (Modtaget – ikke godkendt) and your objections directly on the report.
If You Can't Be There
Then the landlord must send you the report no later than 2 weeks after the inspection. Give the landlord your new address no later than 8 days before moving out (section 186(2) of the Rent Act) so the report and any claims reach you. You may also be able to agree with the landlord that someone else attends on your behalf with a written power of attorney.
After the Inspection
Check that the landlord's claims arrive on time and that every claim is in the report. Object in writing straight away if you disagree. See what the landlord can deduct in Wear and Tear vs. Damage, and what to do if the money doesn't arrive in Getting Your Deposit Back.