Move-out inspection when you move out of a rental apartment

How does the move-out inspection work?

Often in two parts. The pre-inspection comes shortly after you give notice: Familjebostäder does it within ten days, Poseidon normally within ten days and Stena Fastigheter shortly after. At it, the landlord looks for damage and abnormal wear, and you learn what needs to be fixed. Bostadsbolaget writes that the remarks must be fixed before you move out, otherwise they are charged, and that you get a copy of the report. The final inspection is done when the apartment is empty: Poseidon does a cleaning and final inspection after the move-out cleaning and key return, and Willhem a final and cleaning inspection in an unfurnished apartment.

Source: Familjebostäder: Flytta ut, Poseidon: Så går en besiktning till när du flyttar, Stena Fastigheter: Vad behöver jag tänka på när jag sagt upp mitt hyresavtal, Bostadsbolaget: Till dig som ska flytta (broschyr), Willhem: Flytta ut.

How to pass the inspection step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Attend the pre-inspection after you give notice. Ask the landlord when it is held if nobody contacts you.

   Email: Book inspection and key handover To: The landlord (or the buyer or estate agent in a sale)our advice

   The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.

   Ämne: Avflyttningsbesiktning och nycklar, [gamla adressen], lägenhet [lägenhetsnummer] Hej. Mitt hyresavtal för [gamla adressen], lägenhet [lägenhetsnummer], upphör [dagen avtalet upphör]. Jag flyttar ut [flyttdatum]. När kan vi boka avflyttningsbesiktning, och hur vill ni att jag lämnar tillbaka nycklarna? Vänliga hälsningar [ditt namn] [telefon]

   • Book the cleaning so that it is finished before the inspection.

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   Blank template: Word · PDF

2. 2

   Step 2: Fix the remarks in the report before you move out.

3. 3

   Step 3: Empty the apartment, including storage room and balcony, and give it a move-out clean.

4. 4

   Step 4: Document the condition room by room with photos when the apartment is empty. our advice

   Document: Documentation of the apartment's condition To: Your own document; send a copy to the landlordour advice

   The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.

   Dokumentation av skick Adress: [gamla adressen], lägenhet [lägenhetsnummer] Datum och tid: [datum] Gjord av: [ditt namn] Närvarande: [namn] Rum för rum (golv, väggar, tak, fönster, dörrar, vitvaror, badrum, förråd): - [Rum]: [skick]. Foto nr [x till y]. Mätarställning, om det finns en mätare i lägenheten: [värde]. Foto nr [z]. Kända skador som fanns vid inflyttningen: [beskrivning, gärna med inflyttningsprotokollet som bilaga]. Bilagor: [antal] foton. Underskrift: ______________________ [ditt namn]

   • Photograph every room from two angles and every item of damage up close, with dates in the files (our advice).
   • Do the same when you move into the new home (our advice).
   • The tenant must take care of the apartment and compensate for damage caused through fault or negligence, also by someone in the household or by someone doing work for them (12 kap. 24 § jordabalken). The documentation shows what condition the apartment was in when you left it.

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5. 5

   Step 5: Attend the final inspection and ask for a copy of the report. our advice

6. 6

   Step 6: Hand in all the keys on time and get a receipt confirming you have handed them in.

   Document: Receipt for returned keys To: Whoever receives the keys; each of you keeps a copyour advice

   The template is in Swedish because it goes to a Swedish recipient.

   Kvittens på återlämnade nycklar Adress: [gamla adressen], lägenhet [lägenhetsnummer] Datum: [datum] Återlämnat: - Lägenhetsnycklar: [antal] - Förråd: [antal] - Postlåda: [antal] - Tvättstuga eller passerbrickor: [antal] - Övrigt: [ ] Lämnat av: ______________________ [ditt namn] Mottaget av: ______________________ [mottagarens namn]

   • Count the keys against what you received when you moved in (the step page). Take a photo of the signed receipt.

   Copy text Print the document

   Blank template: Word · PDF

Steps 4 and 5 are our advice. The other steps follow the landlords' pages.

Normal wear or damage: who pays?

Jordabalken does not use the term normal wear. It says that you must look after the apartment well and compensate for damage caused through your fault or through the negligence of someone in your household, guests or anyone doing work for you (12 kap. 24 §). What goes beyond that, meaning ordinary wear from living in the apartment, the law does not name as your responsibility.

Landlords in Gothenburg draw the same line in their own words. Familjebostäder writes that you are liable to pay for damage beyond normal wear, and that an uncleaned apartment, damage or abnormal wear can make you liable for compensation. Stena Fastigheter writes that abnormal wear is fixed or paid for by you. Wallenstam writes that fixings in walls and ceilings must be repaired professionally before you move out.

Source: Jordabalken, 12 kap. (riksdagen.se), Familjebostäder: Flytta ut, Familjebostäder: Städguiden 2025, Stena Fastigheter: Vad behöver jag tänka på när jag sagt upp mitt hyresavtal, Wallenstams kundforum: Återställ lägenheten vid utflytt.

If you and the landlord disagree about what counts as damage, your documentation is what you have to show. Photograph every room when the apartment is empty, and keep the move-in report if you have one (our advice). The template for the documentation is in step 4 above.

Do I have to repaint and fill holes before I move?

You can paint and wallpaper at your own expense without the landlord's permission, but the work must be done professionally. If it is not, or you have chosen a colour scheme far from normal taste that reduces the apartment's utility value, you may be liable to compensate the landlord. This is stated by Hyresgästföreningen (the Swedish Union of Tenants). You do not need to compensate for normal wear and tear.

The landlord's own rules determine what you should restore. Wallenstam, for example, states that fixtures for blinds, lamps and curtain rods should be restored professionally, that cable lists should be taken down and the marks repaired, and that an apartment that you have repainted should be restored. Ask your landlord during the pre-inspection what applies to holes after pictures and shelves and what colour the walls should have. The last month of the notice period, the landlord may not paint or wallpaper at your home without your permission.

Source: Hyresgästföreningen: What requirements is the landlord entitled to make when I move?, Wallenstam's customer forum: Restore the apartment when moving out, Jordabalken, 12 chap. (riksdagen.se). 12 chap. 24 and 26 §§ jordabalken.

What happens if the move-out cleaning is failed?

Then you pay to have it done. Bostadsbolaget writes that it is the next tenant who approves the cleaning, and that you pay the cleaning cost if it is not approved. Poseidon charges for cleaning and for removing things left behind, Stena Fastigheter for additional cleaning and Willhem a cleaning fee. If you hired a cleaning company, the company's guarantee decides whether it comes back. Stena Fastigheter writes that the apartment must be move-out cleaned even if it is to be renovated.

Source: Bostadsbolaget: Till dig som ska flytta (broschyr), Poseidon: Så går en besiktning till när du flyttar, Stena Fastigheter: Vad ska göras vid en flyttstädning, Willhem: Flytta ut.

What move-out cleaning costs and what to ask the cleaning company about the guarantee is in the move-out cleaning step.

When must the keys be handed in?

It varies between landlords, from 10 am on the moving day to 12 pm on the first weekday after the contract has expired. If a key is missing, you may have to pay for the lock change. The table shows what the larger landlords in Gothenburg write. If you are to hand over the keys and move in on the same day, there is a schedule for the day in the post about moving out and in on the same day.

Source: Bostadsbolaget: Flytta ut, Bostadsbolaget: Till dig som ska flytta (broschyr), Familjebostäder: Flytta ut, Poseidon: Flytta ut-guide, Stena Fastigheter: Vad behöver jag tänka på när jag sagt upp mitt hyresavtal, Wallenstams kundforum: Återställ lägenheten vid utflytt, Wallenstams kundforum: När ska nycklarna lämnas in, Willhem: Flytta ut. Retrieved 3 October 2026.

The law behind it

The sections summarised, with a link to the legal text on riksdagen.se.