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Move-Out Checklist for Your Barcelona Apartment

The idea behind this checklist: once you hand back the keys, you should have a complete evidence pack proving the condition you left it in and that every obligation is closed.

1. Your lease and the move-in report
  • Pull up your lease and the original move-in inventory report: what it listed, whether there was an inventario, what damage and photos were recorded when you moved in.
  • Check what your lease says about painting, walls, furniture, cleaning — by law, minor wear from normal use is the tenant's responsibility, but the apartment doesn't need to look brand new.
2. Minor repairs — the minimum needed
  • Fill in your own holes, remove your own fixtures, fix any damage you clearly caused.
  • Don't repaint the whole apartment automatically — compare against the move-in condition and your lease terms first.
3. A genuinely full clean
  • Kitchen, oven, fridge, inside the cabinets, bathroom, toilet, shower, windows, balcony/terrace, storage room, furniture — each one, not just a general once-over.
4. Photos — as thorough as possible
  • Every room from four angles, plus the floor, ceiling, walls, doors, windows.
  • Radiators/AC units, furniture, inside the cabinets, kitchen appliances, inside the fridge, the oven, the sink.
  • Bathroom/shower, toilet, balcony, storage room, and the parking spot if it's part of the lease.
  • Close-ups of anywhere that could realistically become a dispute. Don't hold back on how many photos you take.
5. One continuous video of the whole apartment
  • Start at the front door and walk through without stopping: entrance → rooms → cabinets → kitchen → appliances → bathroom → toilet → balcony → storage room.
  • Say the handover date and address out loud on the recording.
  • End the video on the meter readings — together with the photos, this gives far stronger evidence than ten random photos.
6. Meter readings
  • On handover day, photograph the electricity, gas, and water meters so the meter number and reading are both visible.
  • Keep your most recent bills.
7. The handover report (acta de entrega)
  • Draft a document (acta de entrega de llaves / documento de finalización del arrendamiento) with the address, date and time, who handed over and who received, the apartment's condition, and the meter readings.
  • State the exact number and type of keys handed over: building entrance, apartment, mailbox, parking, garage remote, and so on.
  • Get signatures from both parties.
  • Try to get wording along the lines of "La vivienda se entrega en correcto estado, sin daños pendientes" — it's much harder for anyone to suddenly "find" damage three weeks later.
  • To get your deposit back, INCASÒL specifically asks for a document like this signed by both parties (or other proof the property was handed back).
8. Every key, handed over on record
  • Photograph the keys before handover, e.g.: Apartment — 3, Building — 2, Mailbox — 1, Garage remote — 1.
  • That count should match what's written in the signed report — it seems trivial until a locksmith's bill shows up a month later.
9. Sort out your deposit (fianza)
  • Get confirmation that the fianza was registered with INCASÒL.
  • Request the deposit refund in writing.
  • Include the IBAN the money should be sent to.
  • Record the exact handover date — the refund deadline is counted from it.
  • Don't agree to any deduction without a written explanation and supporting evidence.
  • Keep in mind: when a lease ends, it's the landlord who requests the deposit refund from INCASÒL, and INCASÒL pays the landlord, not you directly — worth checking that they've actually filed the request.
  • Legal anchor: under Article 36 of the LAU, if a month has passed since the handover date and the deposit hasn't been returned, the amount starts accruing legal interest!
10. Close out your utilities and services
  • Electricity and gas: check with your landlord first — a change of account holder (cambio de titular) or a full cancellation. Cutting the power and gas isn't always the right call.
  • Separately close water, internet, mobile/fibre tied to the address, alarm system, home insurance, parking/garage — keep the cancellation confirmation numbers.
11. Check your final payments
  • Confirm rent, electricity, gas, water, internet, parking, and any other payments your lease made you responsible for are all settled.
  • Keep the payment confirmations.
12. Send your landlord a final letter
  • On handover day, send a letter/email: the date, the apartment's address, confirmation it's been fully vacated and handed back, that all keys were handed over, the meter readings, a link to your photos, and a request to return the deposit to your IBAN.
  • This creates one more dated, written record — easy to produce if a dispute comes up later.
How we can help
  • Lease and move-in report: we go through them and tell you plainly what counts as normal wear under the law and what doesn't, so you're not billed for something that isn't your responsibility.
  • Minor repairs: if something genuinely needs fixing, our repair crew does targeted, minimal work — only what actually affects your deposit, with no spend on a full renovation.
  • Cleaning: we tell you which areas to prioritise first, based on what landlords actually check at handover.
  • Photos and video: we help you shoot the full evidence from this list, or review what you've already shot, so you end up with real proof of the apartment's condition — not a few random shots.
  • Meter readings: we make sure they're taken and recorded together with the handover report, not lost in email threads.
  • Handover report: we draft it with legally precise wording and make sure both parties actually sign it — your main defence against a claim raised after the fact.
  • Keys: we record the exact number and type of keys handed over in the report, so one "forgotten" key can't become a reason to delay your refund.
  • Fianza and INCASÒL: we file the deposit refund request, check that the landlord has actually applied to INCASÒL, and claim the legal interest under Article 36 of the LAU if the deadline is missed.
  • Utility contracts: we close or transfer electricity, gas, water, internet, and insurance, and collect the cancellation confirmations, so an unexpected bill doesn't show up six months later.
  • Final payments: we check everything is settled before handover, so the landlord has no formal excuse to delay the refund.
  • Final letter: we draft and send the landlord a closing letter with the date, meter readings, and refund request, so your handover date is legally on record.
  • At any of these stages, if the landlord is slow to respond, refuses to sign the report, or tries to withhold money without grounds, we negotiate with them directly on your behalf.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by region and contract — check your specific situation.

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