Phnom Penh rental move-in inspection checklist

2026-11-03 · The CONWE（GPT 撰稿，Claude 審核）

Finding a condominium, townhouse, serviced apartment, or villa in Phnom Penh is only half the rental process. The other half is recording its actual condition when you receive the keys. An old wall stain, leaking air conditioner, scratched table, or faulty lock may become a deposit dispute if nobody recorded it at move-in. A shared checklist protects both tenants and landlords. It establishes what was present, what worked, and what remained to be repaired.

Identify the people involved

The person showing a home may be an agent rather than the landlord named in the agreement. Before paying or accepting keys, verify the contracting parties, payment recipient, property manager, emergency contact, and the agent's authority. Keep a receipt or traceable payment record identifying the unit, amount, date, and purpose. Do not sign a blanket statement that every appliance is perfect before inspecting the property.

Inspect in a consistent order

Start at the entrance, then walk through the living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, balcony, and parking area. Photograph the whole room before taking close-ups of defects. A close-up without context may be impossible to locate months later. Test doors, windows, locks, lights, sockets, hot water, drainage, and air conditioning. Run taps long enough to observe pressure and drainage. Look for moisture around ceilings, windows, and bathroom fixtures. Turn appliances on and confirm that they actually function rather than merely displaying a power light.

Inventory furniture and meter readings

For furnished homes, list mattresses, tables, chairs, refrigerators, washing machines, remote controls, and existing damage. Count keys, access cards, and parking passes. Photograph electricity and water meters with legible readings and record the date. Ask whether electricity, water, internet, rubbish collection, and building management fees are included in rent or billed separately. Identify who issues each bill and how the amount is calculated. If an advertisement promises a pool, gym, or parking bay, verify the actual access rules and additional charges instead of relying on marketing images.

Put repair promises in writing

Describe observable facts without immediately assigning blame. “The bedroom air conditioner drips after running” is more useful than “the landlord supplied a broken unit.” Record the location, photo reference, responsible contact, expected repair date, and how completion will be checked. If repairs are promised after move-in, ask both parties to acknowledge the outstanding list in a handover form or a message that can be saved. Report newly discovered hidden defects promptly and keep evidence of the notification.

Preserve a record for move-out

Store the signed lease, payment evidence, inspection checklist, original photos, videos, and maintenance correspondence in one folder. Do not depend entirely on compressed images in a chat app. Both parties should retain matching versions. If an item remains disputed, mark it “pending confirmation” instead of pretending agreement exists. At move-out, photograph the same rooms from similar angles. This makes it easier to distinguish pre-existing defects, ordinary wear, and new damage.

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