Check-Out Inventory (État des Lieux) in Morocco: Full Guide (2026)

The check-out inventory, the état des lieux de sortie, is the single most important document at the end of a tenancy in Morocco. Done well, it settles the security deposit fairly and prevents disputes; done badly or skipped entirely, it is the source of most landlord-tenant conflict. At Armonia Solutions, with +25 years of expertise, Armonia Solutions, we carry out and document hundreds of these inspections across Marrakech and Agadir. This 2026 guide explains what a compliant check-out inventory must contain, how to cost damage fairly, and how to protect your deposit, whether you let long-term or run a short-stay Airbnb.

Key facts at a glance

1. What is a check-out inventory?

A check-out inventory is a detailed, room-by-room record of the property’s condition when the tenant or guest leaves, compared against the inventory taken on entry. It covers walls, floors, ceilings, windows, fittings, appliances, furniture (if furnished), meter readings and keys. Its purpose is simple: to establish, objectively and with evidence, what has changed during the tenancy and who is responsible for it. Without an entry inventory to compare against, an exit inventory has little weight, so the two must always be treated as a pair.

2. Why the check-out inventory is indispensable in Morocco

In Morocco, the security deposit is almost always the flashpoint at the end of a let. A rigorous, photographed check-out inventory is what allows a landlord to justify any retention and what allows a tenant to recover the balance quickly. It protects both sides: the owner has proof of genuine damage, and the tenant is shielded from arbitrary deductions. For international owners letting from abroad, it is also the document that lets a manager act on your behalf with confidence, because every claim is backed by a record rather than memory or goodwill. In a market where many tenancies still begin on trust and a verbal understanding, the written, photographed inventory is what makes that trust durable, it gives both parties a shared, objective reference point that survives a change of mood, a faulty memory or a difficult final week.

3. What a compliant check-out inventory must contain

A thorough inspection works zone by zone. The table below summarises what to check and the points that most often cause disputes.

Each observation should be supported by clear, dated photographs. A written report signed by both parties, or by the managing agent on the owner’s behalf, completes the record.

4. Deposit and deductions: how to cost damage fairly

The biggest source of conflict is the amount withheld from the deposit. The golden rule is to distinguish normal wear, which is the landlord’s responsibility, from damage, which is the tenant’s, and then to apply a depreciation coefficient that reflects the age of the item. You never charge for an old item as if it were new.

The fair figure follows a simple formula: Deduction = Replacement cost × (1 − depreciation rate). The simulator below applies it for you.

5. Specifics for short-term lets and Airbnb

Short-stay letting compresses everything into hours rather than days. Between guests, the inventory becomes a rapid but disciplined check: photographs on arrival and departure, a quick count of linen and equipment, and an immediate note of any breakage so it can be raised through the platform’s resolution centre while evidence is fresh. A concierge service makes this routine, protecting your rating and your equipment across dozens of turnovers a year. If you are weighing up short-stay letting, our guide on renting your home for the holidays in Morocco sets out the wider picture.

A step-by-step check-out process

A reliable inspection follows the same sequence every time, which is what makes it defensible. First, schedule the check-out for a time when the property is empty and well lit, ideally with both parties or their representatives present. Second, retrieve the entry inventory and photographs so you can compare like with like, room by room. Third, work methodically through each zone in the table above, photographing every relevant surface, even those in good condition, because proof of no damage is as useful as proof of damage. Fourth, take meter readings for water and electricity and confirm that all utility balances are settled and all keys returned. Fifth, list any genuine damage separately from normal wear, then cost it using replacement price and a depreciation rate rather than a new-for-old figure. Sixth, present the proposed deductions to the tenant transparently, with the photographs and the calculation, and agree the final figure. Finally, return the balance of the deposit promptly and keep the full file, inventories, photographs and calculation, for your records. Following the sequence in this order removes ambiguity and is precisely what keeps a disagreement from escalating.

Setting depreciation rates fairly

The depreciation rate is where fairness lives or dies. An item near the end of its useful life carries a high depreciation rate, so the chargeable share of any replacement is small; a nearly new item carries a low rate and a larger chargeable share. Paintwork, for example, is often treated as having a useful life of only a few years, which is why an owner can rarely charge a tenant the full cost of repainting a wall that was already several years old. Appliances, flooring and sanitaryware each have their own sensible lifespans. The exact percentages are a matter of reasonable judgement rather than a fixed legal table, but the principle is constant: the tenant pays for the loss they actually caused, adjusted for the age the item had already reached. Applying this consistently, and being able to show your working, is what turns a potential argument into a quick, accepted settlement.

Illustrative example (simulation)

Illustrative example (simulation), indicative figures, not a real client case.

Consider a long-term let in Casablanca managed on behalf of a British owner. The departing tenant disputes a deposit retention of 3,500 MAD (approx. $350). The entry inventory described the walls as freshly repainted; the exit inventory, backed by photographs, documents two walls marked with multiple fixings and a torn-off cupboard door. After applying the depreciation grid, the justified retention is reduced to 2,100 MAD (approx. $210): repainting two walls at 1,400 MAD (approx. $140) and repairing the door at 700 MAD (approx. $70). The balance of the deposit is returned within eight days. The dispute closes without any formal procedure, purely because the documentation was beyond reproach.

Common situations owners face

Most disputes fall into a few recognisable patterns, and each is avoidable with good documentation. A landlord who relied on verbal trust and had no photographic entry inventory has no way to prove that fresh damage was not pre-existing, and usually absorbs the cost. An owner who charges the full price of a five-year-old appliance is rightly challenged, because no depreciation was applied. A tenant who left the property clean but unpainted is sometimes billed for ordinary fading, a charge that does not survive scrutiny. In every case, the resolution is the same: a dated entry inventory, a matching exit inventory, photographs, and a transparent depreciation calculation. Owners who adopt this discipline report that disputes effectively disappear.

Trust, the written word and the Moroccan rental relationship

Renting in Morocco has long rested on personal trust and the spoken word, a handshake, a shared tea, a relationship between families. That culture is a strength, but it can leave owners exposed when memories differ at the end of a tenancy. The check-out inventory does not replace trust; it formalises it in a way both sides can respect. For international owners, understanding this balance matters: insisting on photographs and signatures is not a sign of suspicion but a courtesy that protects the tenant as much as the landlord. Presented warmly, as the normal, fair way of doing things rather than an accusation, a documented inventory fits comfortably within Moroccan hospitality, and tenants who experience a transparent, evidence-based settlement are the ones most likely to recommend you and return.

FAQ, Check-out inventory in Morocco

Is a check-out inventory compulsory in Morocco?

While practice varies, it is strongly advisable and, paired with an entry inventory, it is what allows any deposit deduction to be justified or contested.

Who should carry out the check-out inventory?

The landlord and tenant together, or a managing agent acting on the owner’s behalf, ideally with both parties present and signing.

What is the deadline to return the deposit?

Once deductions are agreed, the balance is typically returned within about eight days; clear documentation speeds this up considerably.

Can the whole deposit be withheld?

Only if justified damage, after depreciation, equals or exceeds the deposit. Arbitrary full retention does not survive challenge.

What is the difference between normal wear and damage?

Normal wear is the gradual ageing of the property under ordinary use and is the landlord’s cost; damage results from misuse or neglect and is chargeable to the tenant.

Do photographs carry weight?

Yes. Dated photographs from both entry and exit are the most persuasive evidence in any dispute.

How do I handle the inventory for an Airbnb let?

Photograph the property at each arrival and departure, check linen and equipment, and report any breakage immediately through the platform while evidence is fresh.

What if disagreement persists?

A complete, photographed inventory and a transparent depreciation calculation usually resolve matters; if not, the same documentation is your basis for any further step.

Can I delegate the inventory to a concierge service?

Yes. A concierge or management company can carry out and document the inventory on your behalf, which is especially valuable for owners based abroad.

Why the entry inventory decides the exit

It is worth repeating, because it is the mistake that costs owners the most: an exit inventory is only as strong as the entry inventory it is compared against. If you let a property without a dated, photographed record of its starting condition, you have no baseline, and any damage the tenant denies becomes your word against theirs, a contest you will usually lose. The discipline therefore begins on day one, not on the final day. Photograph the property thoroughly before a tenant moves in, note the exact condition of paintwork, tiling, appliances and furniture, and have the record signed. Everything in this guide depends on that first step. For owners running short stays, the same logic applies at every single turnover, which is why a systematic, manager-led process is so much safer than ad-hoc checks. Treat the entry inventory as the foundation of the entire tenancy, and the exit inventory becomes a simple act of comparison rather than a negotiation.

What good documentation looks like

Strong documentation is specific, dated and consistent. Photographs should be in focus, well lit and wide enough to show context, with close-ups of any defect. The written report should describe condition in plain, neutral language, “two fixing holes, lower left of the north wall” rather than “wall damaged”. Meter readings and key counts should be logged as numbers, not impressions. When the same standard is used on entry and exit, the comparison is effortless and almost impossible to contest. This consistency is also what allows an owner abroad to trust a manager completely: the file speaks for itself, and the deposit is settled on evidence rather than argument.

Conclusion

A rigorous check-out inventory is the cheapest insurance an owner in Morocco can hold. It turns the deposit from a flashpoint into a simple, evidence-based settlement, and it protects the relationship with your tenant or guest. Whether your property is in Marrakech, Agadir or Taghazout, the method is the same: document on entry, document on exit, photograph everything, and cost damage fairly with depreciation. Armonia Solutions carries out and records these inspections as part of its management service, so your deposits are handled correctly and your disputes stay rare. Contact us to learn how we protect your property at every turnover.

Sources

• Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement (SGG), Morocco, tenancy and lease legal framework (sgg.gov.ma).
• Armonia Solutions, internal inspection and management practice, Marrakech and Agadir (indicative).