Defects list when moving in: deadline, checklist and template for tenants
26 September 2026 · 10 min read · Renting a home
A defects list (mangelliste) is your written notice to the landlord of the faults and defects the home had when you took it over. It must reach the landlord no later than 2 weeks after the start of the tenancy, or you lose some of your rights (section 91 of the Danish Rent Act, lejeloven). Send it by email with photos, so you can also prove the condition of the home when you eventually move out.
What is a defects list, and when must the landlord have it?
Under section 91 of the Rent Act (in Danish), you must tell the landlord no later than 2 weeks after the start of the tenancy that you want to claim a defect. The start date of the tenancy is in the lease. In the authorised lease, standard form A, 10th edition, it is in § 2. As a rule, the deadline runs from that date and not from the inspection.
According to the explanatory notes to the bill (in Danish), you as the tenant must be able to prove that you reported the defects. Your notice takes effect when it has reached the landlord, and you bear the risk if it gets lost. So send it in writing, and not on the last day.
The deadline has two exceptions. It does not apply to defects you could not discover with ordinary care, or if the landlord has acted fraudulently. For hidden defects, according to the explanatory notes, the deadline runs from the time you would have discovered them with ordinary attention.
The deadline only concerns defects that were there from the start. Faults that arise later, for example because the landlord does not maintain the home, come under the rules on maintenance. One example is damp and mould in your rental home.
If you miss the deadline
Then you lose the right to use the remedies for defects in sections 95 to 97: fixing the defect yourself at the landlord’s expense, claiming a rent reduction, terminating the lease or claiming compensation. According to the explanatory notes and the Ministry of Social Affairs (in Danish), you do not lose the right to have the defect fixed as part of the landlord’s duty to maintain. Nor are you automatically liable for the defect when you move out. But you may have to prove that it was there when you moved in.
What condition must the home be in when you move in?
The landlord must make the home available in good and proper condition from the start of the tenancy. At handover it must be clean, the windows must be whole, and all outside doors must have working locks with keys (§ 89). According to the explanatory notes, these are only examples. Clean means ordinary cleaning and that rubbish has been removed. Good and proper condition also means that the home is free of bedbugs, rats, mice and mould. The landlord must also keep drains and installations for electricity, gas, water and heating properly maintained (§ 112(2)).
The rule in § 89 can be departed from by agreement. You can, for example, agree that you take over the home as seen, or that it is fully refurbished. So read the lease before you make the list: if it says fully refurbished, a scratched wall or a worn floor is a defect. If you saw the home before you signed, or the landlord invited you to, you cannot, according to the explanatory notes, rely on matters you should have discovered, unless the landlord has acted fraudulently.
Room-by-room checklist
Go through the home in daylight, and take photos of every room and every fault. Write where the fault is and how big it is. A good list is specific enough for a stranger to find the fault again in five years.
| Room | What to check |
|---|---|
| Entrance and hall | Front door and lock, number of keys and fobs, door phone, floor, skirting boards and walls |
| Living room and bedrooms | Walls and ceilings (holes, cracks, marks, flaking paint), floors (scratches, marks, loose boards), doors and frames, windows (whole panes, close tightly, handles), radiators and thermostats, sockets and light fittings |
| Kitchen | Appliances switch on and work, cooker hood, sink, tap and drain, cupboards, doors and drawers, worktop, tiles and grout |
| Bathroom and toilet | Toilet flushes and does not run, drain, grout and tiles, hot water, ventilation, signs of damp or mould |
| Balcony, basement and attic | Floor and railing, doors and locks, damp in basement or attic storage |
| Meters | Read the electricity, water and heating meters, and take a photo of each meter |
Also write down what the walls and floors look like, even if nothing is wrong. According to the explanatory notes, it is exactly the question of whether the home was freshly painted at move-in that can cause many conflicts on move-out. You can read more in the article on painting when you move out.
Template: defects list for your landlord
Section 91 sets no formal requirements for the list, but putting it in writing is safest. You can use the text below and adapt it.
Subject: Defects list for [address], start of tenancy [date]
Dear [landlord or property manager]
I took over the tenancy at [address] on [date]. Under section 91 of the Rent Act, I hereby give notice that I claim the following defects. Photos are attached and numbered as in the list.
1. [Room]: [what the fault is, where it is and how big it is]. Photo 1.
2. [Room]: [description]. Photo 2.
3. [Room]: [description]. Photo 3.I ask for items [numbers] to be fixed. I note the other items so that they are not included in the account when I move out.
Meter readings at handover: electricity [reading], water [reading], heating [reading].
Please confirm receipt and let me know when the defects will be fixed.
Kind regards
[name, address and phone]
How to send and keep the defects list
- Write the list during the first few days, while you still see the home with fresh eyes.
- Take dated photos and number them to match the items.
- Send the list to the address the lease gives for the landlord or property manager. Email is fine; the explanatory notes themselves mention email as a way to secure proof. If the landlord has asked for notices not to be sent digitally, or one of you is exempt from Digital Post, send it by post (§ 13(1)).
- Ask for a receipt. If none comes, keep your sent email or your letter with the date.
- Keep the list, photos, lease and any move-in report in the same place until the tenancy has been settled and your deposit repaid.
If the landlord holds a move-in inspection
If the landlord rents out more than one residential apartment, the landlord must hold a move-in inspection, invite you and give you a move-in report at the inspection. If you are not there, or will not sign for it, the report must be sent no later than 2 weeks after the inspection (§ 90). Otherwise the landlord’s claim for refurbishment when you move out lapses, unless it concerns damage you are responsible for. According to the explanatory notes, defects listed in the report count as reported. Anything not listed there must go on your own list before the deadline, and the deadline applies even if you attended the inspection and received the report. According to the explanatory notes, you only sign to confirm that you received the report, and you do not commit to its description of the home’s condition. The landlord’s side of the inspection is in the guide to the move-in inspection.
If the landlord does not fix the defects
If the landlord does not reply to your list, the landlord may, according to the explanatory notes and depending on the circumstances, be bound by their silence, so that your list is accepted in full or in part, unless the landlord can document that a defect arose later. If you disagree about whether the home had defects at the start, the Rent Tribunal decides, and it can order the landlord to fix the defect (§ 92). There is no deadline for bringing the case, but according to the explanatory notes, doing so as soon as possible can matter a great deal for your chances of success. See how to complain to the Rent Tribunal in Copenhagen.
If you reported the defect in time, you also have the remedies for defects:
- If the landlord does not fix the defect immediately after your demand, you can fix it yourself at the landlord’s expense (§ 95(1)). According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, it is important that you secure proof of the defect before you fix it yourself.
- You can claim a proportionate rent reduction for as long as the defect reduces the value of the home to you (§ 95(2)).
- If the landlord does not fix the defect immediately, and it is significant, or the landlord has acted fraudulently, you can terminate the lease (§ 96).
In a case about defects at move-in, the Rent Tribunal cannot decide claims for compensation, a proportionate rent reduction or termination. According to the explanatory notes and the City of Copenhagen (in Danish), these belong to the Housing Court (boligretten). The rules in sections 90 to 92 cannot be departed from to your disadvantage (§ 93).
Why the defects list saves you money when you move out
When you move out, you must hand back the home in the same condition as when you took it over, except for wear and tear not covered by your duty to maintain, and defects the landlord must fix. You cannot be required to hand back the home in better condition than when you took it over (§ 187(1)). The City of Copenhagen (in Danish) puts it briefly: if there are defects at move-in, the tenant is not liable for them on move-out, so the tenant should make a defects list at handover.
Without a list, it becomes your word against the landlord’s about how the home looked, perhaps several years ago. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, it can be hard to prove that you did not cause the damage. If there is a dispute about the move-out statement, the Rent Tribunal, according to the explanatory notes, obtains the move-in report and any defects list. That matters for your money, because the deposit is security for your obligations on move-out (§ 59(1)). Read more about getting your deposit back.
Sources
- The Rent Act (lov om leje, lejeloven), lov nr. 341 of 22 March 2022 as amended (Retsinformation, in Danish)
- Bill on the Rent Act (L 47), explanatory notes to sections 89 to 92 (Retsinformation, in Danish)
- Moving in and handover (Ministry of Social Affairs, in Danish)
- What the rent tribunals can deal with (City of Copenhagen, in Danish)
- When a tenant moves in or out (City of Copenhagen, in Danish)
- Standard form A, 10th edition: lease for residential property with guidance (Ministry of the Interior and Housing, in Danish)
Frequently asked questions
The key questions, answered briefly.
Have another question?Call +45 50 52 15 37 or book a meeting.
How long do you have to make a defects list in a rental home?
The defects list must reach the landlord no later than 2 weeks after the start of the tenancy, see section 91 of the Rent Act. The deadline is counted from the date the tenancy starts under the lease, and not from the move-in inspection. It does not apply to defects you could not discover with ordinary care, or if the landlord has acted fraudulently.
What should a defects list contain?
The address, the start date of the tenancy and a numbered list of faults and defects room by room, with location, size and a photo for each item. Write which items you want fixed and which you are just noting. Include the meter readings, and ask for a receipt. The Rent Act sets no formal requirements for the list.
Do I need to send a defects list if there has been a move-in inspection?
Yes, if there are faults that are not in the move-in report. Defects in the report count as reported, but the 2-week deadline in section 91 still applies, even if you attended the inspection and received the report. According to the explanatory notes, you only sign to confirm that you received the report, not that you agree with it.
What happens if I send the defects list too late?
You lose the right to fix the defect at the landlord’s expense, claim a rent reduction, terminate the lease or claim compensation for the defect. You can still demand that it is fixed as part of the landlord’s duty to maintain, and you are not automatically liable for it on move-out. But you may have to prove that it was there from the start.
Can I send the defects list by email?
Yes. The explanatory notes to the Rent Act themselves mention email as a way to secure proof that the list was sent in time. You have the burden of proof, and the list only takes effect once it has arrived. If the landlord has asked for notices not to be sent digitally, you must send it by post.
Who decides disagreements about defects at move-in?
The Rent Tribunal decides whether the home had defects at the start of the tenancy and can order the landlord to fix the defect, see section 92. It cannot decide claims for compensation, a proportionate rent reduction or termination of the lease. These must instead be decided by the Housing Court.
