Before you move in: record what your Spanish rental includes

The apartment looks comfortable and the photographs show everything you need. Before making it your next home, ask a more practical question: what exactly will be there when you receive the keys, and how will its condition be recorded?

A short written inventory and dated observations can give both sides a clearer starting point. The checklist below is practical preparation, not a promise that photographs alone will resolve a disagreement.

Start with the type of rental

A home intended as your permanent residence, a seasonal let and tourist accommodation do not necessarily follow the same rules. Spain’s Urban Leases Act distinguishes residential use from other uses and excludes certain tourist accommodation from its scope. Ask which arrangement is actually being offered before relying on a general checklist. [1]

Write down the address, proposed start date and intended use. If the advertisement, agreement and explanation describe different arrangements, seek clarification before your next commitment.

Ask what the inventory covers

In Andalucía, the Junta’s consumer guidance describes the rental information document, the Documento Informativo Abreviado, and includes an inventory of furnishings and household items among its contents. This is regional guidance: have the applicable requirements checked for the actual location and transaction. [2]

For your own viewing notes, use a room-by-room list. Ask what is included, what belongs to the outgoing occupier and what is due to be removed or replaced. A sofa appearing in an advertisement is a reason to ask, not evidence that it is included in your agreement.

Five things to record during the visit

1. Rooms and items: list furniture, appliances and agreed accessories. Include outdoor space, parking or storage only where they form part of the proposed arrangement.
2. Visible condition: note existing marks, damaged fittings or missing items in plain language. Take permitted overview and detail photographs, dated and linked to the room. A mark is an observation, not a diagnosis of its cause.
3. What was demonstrated: keep “shown operating”, “not demonstrated” and “not accessible” separate. Do not describe an appliance as tested merely because it was present.
4. Access and handover: ask which keys, remotes or access devices will be provided, and who will confirm the final list when the keys change hands.
5. Outstanding actions: record promised cleaning, replacements or repairs, who is responsible and the agreed timing. Ask for written confirmation rather than treating an informal assurance as completed work.

Separate observations from repair responsibilities

For residential tenancies within its scope, article 21 of the Urban Leases Act addresses conservation repairs and distinguishes them from small repairs arising from ordinary use. It also addresses notification of repair needs. Responsibility depends on the facts and applicable rules; do not assume every item found during a viewing automatically belongs to one party. [1]

Send unresolved questions to the appropriate adviser. Keep a copy of the listing, agreement, inventory, correspondence and dated photographs together. Ask how corrections to the inventory will be acknowledged before relying on it as a shared record.

Human Eye, not AI

TrueCasa’s actual viewings and inspections are carried out by people attending the property first-hand. That is what Human Eye, not AI means: practical observations from a real visit within the agreed scope, rather than treating a generated image as evidence of a home’s condition.

Our real inspection reports are on our website: browse the published business inspection library, including a Benalmádena business report. Report access may depend on your account. Visit our inspection services to discuss a human visit for your own plans, and explore the rental report library. Public sample reports explain the format; an illustrative sample is not evidence of a completed client inspection. Confirm availability, access and scope before arranging attendance.

A message you can send today

“Please send the proposed inventory and confirm which furniture and appliances are included. At the visit, please record existing visible marks, what can be demonstrated, inaccessible areas and any work promised before handover. Please explain how we will agree the final inventory and condition record.”

Official sources

[1] BOE: Urban Leases Act, consolidated text, articles 2, 3, 5 and 21. Consulted 26 October 2026; the page displayed an update of 7 October 2026. Check the rules applicable to your agreement and date.

[2] Junta de Andalucía, Consumo Responde: residential letting, particularly the rental information document and inventory section. Consulted 26 October 2026.

Published 26 October 2026 by TrueCasa. Prepared with AI assistance and checked against the listed sources. General practical guidance, not individual legal advice, a technical certification or findings about a particular property. Human Eye, not AI refers to actual on-site attendance.