What to do when you disagree on the inspection report

If you disagree on the move-out inspection report, don’t sign anything until you’re on board: state your reservations in writing, try talking it out, then send a registered letter and, if needed, go to a conciliator or the departmental conciliation commission. The move-out inspection is a sensitive moment in long-term rental management: it determines whether you get your full security deposit back.

Don’t sign if you disagree

Rule number one: never sign an inspection report if you don’t agree with what’s written. By signing, you accept everything in it, even if it doesn’t match the real condition of the home. Take the time to check each point before signing, or you risk hurting your chances of getting your security deposit back.

Try to settle things amicably

If you spot problems, the best move is to talk directly with your landlord or the real estate agency. A good conversation often settles disagreements. Back up your arguments with photos or evidence from the move-in inspection report: it can really make a difference, especially if a tenant didn’t return the home in the same condition.

Send a registered letter

If talking leads nowhere, move to writing. Send a registered letter with return receipt setting out the points of disagreement clearly. Ask for a reply within 30 days, and propose redoing the inspection, for example with a court bailiff (commissaire de justice, formerly called a huissier).

Ask for help and get advice

If amicable attempts fail, you have several options:

• Court conciliator (conciliateur de justice): a free professional who helps find a compromise between the parties without going to court.
• Departmental conciliation commission: this free body can give an impartial opinion on the dispute and help you move forward.
• Court bailiff (commissaire de justice, formerly called a huissier): if one party refuses to do or sign the inspection report, the other can ask the bailiff for an official, impartial report, with costs split equally between tenant and landlord.
• Court proceedings: as a last resort, taking the case to the judge for protection disputes (juge des contentieux de la protection) remains an option to settle the dispute for good. For a dispute up to €5,000, an amicable step (commission, conciliator, or mediator) is required first.

Stay organized, keep all the evidence at every step, and remember to ask for the right guarantees when the tenant moves in to limit future disputes. Need a template to frame your next inspection report? Our inspection report templates are free.