With no inspection, the winner is whoever argues loudest
The scene repeats itself in every letting agency in the South Zone. The tenant hands back the keys, the landlord points at the stained wall, the tenant swears it was already like that, and there is not a single document that can say who is right. What gets decided there is not technical — it is who has more patience for a fight.
The money at stake is rarely small. A full repaint, replacement flooring, a new shower enclosure, window frames, sanitary ware — in an ordinary apartment in this part of the city, the bill for repairs argued without evidence comfortably exceeds the cost of two inspections. And once it becomes a lawsuit, add legal fees, time, and a property sitting empty earning nothing.
An inspection moves the conversation onto different ground. With a check-in and a check-out report on the table, the question stops being who is right and becomes what changed between one photo and the other. That question takes minutes to answer.
Booking both ends is what actually protects you
A move-out inspection on its own describes the current condition but does not demonstrate the change. Clients who book both ends with the same professional get a genuinely comparative report: same room order, same photo angles, same classification criteria.
It is the format that effectively closes the deposit argument — because it leaves no room for interpretation.
What is actually inside your report
Not a two-page summary with four photos. This is the full document you use in a contract, in a deposit negotiation, in a rent-guarantee insurance claim or in court:
Room-by-room description: living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, utility area, balcony, parking spaces and storage — each with its own text, no boilerplate.
Date-stamped photos of everything: wide and close-up shots of every room and every finding, captioned, numbered and time-stamped. This is what gives the report evidential weight.
Every finding classified: each mark, crack, stain or fault comes with a description, a probable cause and a classification: fair wear and tear, or damage attributable to use.
Installations actually tested: we open every water point and test sockets, switches, flushes, stopcocks and drainage. We do not take 'looks fine' as an answer.
Inventory of what stays with the property: fitted wardrobes, light fittings, air conditioning, water heater, blinds and appliances — with make, model and condition. This is what stops items going missing.
Meter readings: photos of the water, electricity and gas meters with the reading on the day, so you never pay for someone else's consumption.
Side-by-side comparison (at check-out): the move-out report places the check-in and check-out photos together, item by item. Any discrepancy is obvious — or it is proven that there is none.
Signed PDF plus follow-up: digital signature, CRECI-SP 95215 and CNAI 051776. And you can call us with questions about the content at no extra cost.
Pick the stage you need right now
Check-in inspection
Before the keys change hands. Records the initial condition, whether the installations work and every pre-existing finding. It is the baseline of the contract — and the tenant's main protection too.
Check-out inspection
At handback, ideally with both parties present. Compares against the check-in and states, item by item, what is wear and tear and what is damage to be repaired.
Both ends: check-in + check-out
The most requested option, and the one with the best return. Same professional at both ends, same route, a directly comparable report. Package rate available.
Mid-term inspection
For long contracts, commercial lettings and high-end property. Checks maintenance during the tenancy and catches leaks and damp while the repair is still cheap.
Wear and tear or damage? The report answers item by item
This is where almost every move-out inspection gets challenged — and where a well-made report pays for itself. Brazil's Tenancy Act (Law 8.245/1991, art. 23, III) requires the tenant to return the property as received, except for deterioration from normal use. That exception is precisely what gets argued over. Here is how we separate the two:
| Element | Fair wear and tear (landlord's cost) | Chargeable damage (tenant's cost) |
|---|---|---|
| Wall paint | Loss of sheen, light soiling and yellowing consistent with time in use. | Damp staining from an unreported leak, excessive drilling, repainting in an unauthorised colour. |
| Floors and finishes | Worn varnish in circulation areas, surface scratches, loss of gloss on porcelain tiles. | Impact-broken tile, removed section, permanent chemical staining, destroyed grout. |
| Windows, doors and glazing | Slightly misaligned leaf, worn roller, incipient oxidation in a wet area. | Cracked glass, forced lock, punctured door leaf, broken blind. |
| Plumbing | End-of-life seals, natural oxidation of metalware, worn toilet seat. | Blockage from improper disposal, broken trap, detached shower screen, widespread mould from lack of ventilation. |
| Electrical installations | Yellowed faceplates and switches, contact wear from use. | Torn-out socket, circuit altered without permission, breaker swapped for one of the wrong rating. |
| Items forming part of the property | Worn hinge, misaligned wardrobe door, use marks on a worktop. | Removal of a wardrobe, light fitting, mirror or appliance listed in the check-in report. |
Tenant improvements are a separate chapter. Article 35 of Law 8.245/1991 covers necessary and useful improvements and the right of retention. Every tenant intervention — from a fitted wardrobe to a layout change — goes into the report with a note on who authorised it and what happens to it at the end of the contract. It is exactly the kind of detail nobody agrees upfront and everybody argues about later.
Four simple steps to your report
Message us on WhatsApp
Send the address and what you need. We reply within 24 hours with a firm price and an available date. No long forms, no run-around.
We book around your schedule
The visit is set to fit your agenda, including outside business hours when needed. You don't have to be there if you'd rather not.
We run the inspection
Full on-site survey with date-stamped photos of every room and every relevant finding. One to five hours, depending on the property.
You get the report
A PDF ready to use in a contract, a negotiation or a court case, digitally signed, with CRECI-SP 95215 and CNAI 051776. Follow-up questions included.
What clients say after the job is done
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Who books rental inspections most often
Landlords and owners. The best-return scenario: the cost of the report is fixed and you know what it is; the cost of repairs you cannot prove is not.
Tenants. The check-in report is a tenant's strongest protection against being charged, at the end of the contract, for a problem that was already there. It is not unusual for the tenant to be the one booking it — and it is a smart call.
Letting agencies and property managers. A standardised report across the whole portfolio, with the same criteria between properties and between contracts. We handle volume with a dedicated schedule.
Lawyers, insurers and guarantors. For rent-guarantee claims, enforcement of security or damage recovery actions, where quantifying the loss needs an independent technical report.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a rental inspection cost?
It depends on floor area, property type and which stage you book, and the price is fixed before the visit — you never receive a bill different from what was agreed. Booking both ends gets a package rate. Send the address on WhatsApp and we return the quote within 24 hours, free and with no obligation.
Is an inspection required by law?
Law 8.245/1991 does not require an inspection as a formality, but article 23(III) obliges the tenant to return the property in the condition received, except for deterioration from normal use. Without a check-in report there is no record of that initial condition — and the burden of proof falls on whoever alleges the damage. In practice, the inspection is what makes that article enforceable.
What is the difference between wear and tear and chargeable damage?
Fair wear and tear is the deterioration expected from use and the passage of time: aged paint, yellowed shower sealant, varnish worn along a walkway. Chargeable damage comes from improper use, neglected maintenance or unauthorised work: impact-broken tiles, mould from no ventilation, excessive drilling, items removed from the property. The report separates the two item by item, with photos and technical description.
When should the check-out inspection happen?
Ideally at handback itself, with both parties present and the property empty. If that is not possible, it should be as close as possible to the vacating date and before any new occupation or refurbishment — later work weakens the link between the damage and the tenancy period.
Does this work for commercial units and office floors?
Yes, with a wider scope: electrical and HVAC installations, cabling, suspended ceilings, raised floors, the condition of the shell as handed over, and the previous occupier's fit-out. A large share of commercial tenancy disputes in the South Zone is about exactly that — the unit being handed back in a different state from the one received.
Is the report valid in court?
Yes. It is produced by a licensed professional holding CRECI-SP 95215 and CNAI 051776, and it contains methodology, date-stamped photographs and a digital signature. It serves as documentary evidence in a damage recovery claim, in a tenant's defence, and as the basis for releasing a deposit or making a rent-guarantee claim.
Do I need to be there during the inspection?
Not necessarily. Many clients simply leave the key with the concierge or the agency. At check-out, though, having both parties present is an advantage: whatever is flagged on the spot usually gets settled on the spot, with no back and forth.
Other inspection types and services
Get your report before the keys change hands
We cover Moema, Vila Mariana, Brooklin, Campo Belo, Santo Amaro, Jabaquara, Morumbi and the whole South Zone. Send the address now and get your quote today.
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