Help and user guide

What Rental Check-In is for

Why it exists

When you move into a rented home, marks, scuffs and worn fittings are easy to overlook, and by the time you leave nobody remembers what was already there. Rental Check-In helps you record the condition of the home on move-in day, while you still have the keys in your hand.

What you end up with

A check-in record for the home: photos organised by room and item, a note on any photo, existing damage marked clearly, your name and signature, and a dated PDF that you can save or send yourself. Everything stays on your iPhone unless you choose to export it.

Who it is for

Tenants moving into a rented home. You do not need an account, and your landlord or agent does not need the app.

What it does not do

Rental Check-In does not send anything to anyone, and it does not contact your landlord or agent. Dates come from your iPhone's clock and are not independently verified. A confirmed record is locked inside the app, but that does not make it tamper-proof, and it is not legal advice or legal proof of anything. The app cannot promise how a landlord or agent will treat your record.

Your first check-in, step by step

Step 1: Start the check-in

On the Check-ins screen choose Start a check-in. Enter a nickname you will recognise, such as New flat, add the address if you want it in the record, and set the move-in date. Choose Create.

Step 2: Photograph each room and item

Your record starts with common rooms and items, such as living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, hallway, meters and the boiler. Open one and choose Take photo to keep shooting without the camera closing, or Choose photos to pick from your library. Take a wide shot of each room first, then close-ups of anything worth noting. Add or remove rooms and items from the record screen.

Step 3: Mark existing damage

Open a photo, switch on This shows existing damage or marks, and write a short note about what you can see. Photograph meters with the reading visible and add the reading as a note.

Step 4: Check it as a draft

While the record is still a draft you can change anything. Choose Preview PDF to see the finished PDF, marked as a draft on every page, and use Share if you want a copy to look over. Fix any photos or notes that are not right.

Step 5: Review, sign and confirm

Choose Review and confirm, check the summary, then continue to sign. Enter your name, sign with your finger, tick the statement and choose Confirm check-in. After this the record is locked in the app, so confirm only when it is complete.

Step 6: Keep copies

On the confirmed record choose Export PDF and save it to Files, email it or send it yourself. In About, open Backup & Restore to keep a full backup of all your check-ins in case you lose or replace your iPhone.

Create a check-in

Start with the right details

From Check-ins, choose Start a check-in or New check-in. Enter a nickname you will recognise, an optional address and the move-in date. The address is included in exports and backups when provided. Create the record, then review its rooms and items.

Organise the inspection

Open a room or item to add evidence. Add another room or item from the record when needed. A draft can be edited. Room Options lets you rename a draft room or item. Clear its label to restore the standard category name. It also includes deletion with a confirmation; deleting a room removes its saved photos. Check the warning before continuing.

Photographs, notes and damage

Add clear evidence

Open a room and choose Take photo. The camera stays open for multiple shots; wait if it is busy saving, then choose Done. You can also choose several library photos at once. Wait for your photos to appear. Open each saved photo to check the image and add a note. Notes save automatically as you type and can be up to 500 characters; a counter shows how many you have used. Tap its image to view it full screen, pinch or double tap to zoom, and swipe or use Previous and Next to view other photos in that room. Zoom actions are available to assistive technology. Mark Existing damage where appropriate; the label is part of the record.

Before you finish

Reopen important photos and check their notes and orientation. Photos are stored without location or camera details. Deleting a photo removes it from the local record; older backups and shared copies remain separate. A confirmed record is locked, so make corrections while it is still a draft.

Review, sign and confirm

Review before signing

Add at least one photo to make review available. Choose Review and confirm and check the details, rooms, photos and notes. Read the full confirmation statement. Enter the signer name, draw the signature and acknowledge the statement. Clear lets you redraw before confirming.

Confirmation locks the record

Confirm only when the record is complete. The saved signature and confirmation date remain with the record. Confirmed records cannot be edited in the app. Dates use the iPhone clock and are not independently verified; confirmation does not make the record tamper-proof or independent legal proof.

Export and keep the PDF

Create a readable report

While a record is still a draft, choose Preview PDF to inspect or share it without confirming. Every page is marked as an unconfirmed draft. For a confirmed record, choose Export PDF. Wait for preparation to finish, then use the native share sheet to save, print or send the PDF yourself. Check the saved report, especially photographs and the signature, before relying on your copy.

PDF versus full backup

A PDF is a presentation of the check-in. It cannot restore editable app data. Use Export Full Backup for a restorable copy of all records and stored files. The app does not send a PDF automatically. Copies you share are outside its control.

Backup, export and restore

Keep a complete local copy

Open Backup & Restore and choose Export Full Backup. Wait for Save or share full backup, then save the archive somewhere private. A PDF report or printed label is not a full backup. Archives include the database and stored files and have no password; anyone with the file can read their contents.

Use iCloud backup

Sign in to iCloud and enable iCloud Drive in iPhone Settings, then turn on Automatic iCloud backup in the app. Saved changes make the data eligible for backup. Automatic snapshots run at eligible foreground opportunities, with at least 24 hours between cloud-confirmed automatic snapshots. Back Up Now bypasses that interval. Keep the app open and check the status: preparing or waiting for upload does not mean cloud-confirmed.

Restore safely

Export the current data first if you want to keep it. Import a full backup from the same app, or refresh iCloud backups and choose Download and review restore. Check the source, date and record counts. Replace Local Data replaces the entire local dataset; it does not merge records. Cancel restore if it is not the snapshot you wanted. Damaged or incompatible backups are rejected; do not delete your current data to make an import work.

Cloud off, offline or needs attention

Local records and local export/import remain available when iCloud is disabled or unavailable. An upload may stay pending offline; reconnect, open Backup & Restore and refresh. Check iCloud sign-in, iCloud Drive, network and available storage if backup needs attention. Turning automatic backup off does not delete existing cloud snapshots. Each installation creates separate snapshots; this is backup and restore, not live sync.

Delete copies deliberately

Local deletion does not remove old cloud snapshots or exported files. Manage cloud copies using Delete this cloud snapshot and its confirmation. The app retains three confirmed snapshots from this installation; other-device snapshots require your explicit deletion. Shared PDFs and saved archives must be managed wherever you saved or sent them.

Troubleshooting and accessibility

A save or import fails

Read the error and retry after checking available iPhone storage and access to the source file. Keep the original file until the import succeeds. An error is not an empty database. If startup reports a storage problem, use its retry action; do not delete or reset your data to dismiss the message.

Camera or photo access

If the camera is unavailable, check the app permission in iPhone Settings. The photo picker only imports the items you select. When using Files, make sure a cloud-hosted source file has downloaded before importing it.

Make the app easier to read

The app follows iPhone appearance, text-size and accessibility settings. Use larger text, increased contrast or VoiceOver through iPhone Settings. Statuses include words and icons as well as colour. Scroll to reach controls at larger text sizes. The in-app guide works offline and does not send your data anywhere.