Guides/First 72 hours

1. 01

   Original files, date visible in the phone. Do not send the archive through WeChat. Keep a compressed set for the landlord if you must.

2. 02

   Every room, ceiling, floor, inside cabinets, appliance plates, remotes, keys and fobs counted.

3. 03

   Water, electricity, hot water, gas: meter number and reading, dated.

4. 04

   Washer in the unit or a shared room? A dryer bay — vented or condenser — and whether you may drill. Balcony hanging and outward poles.

5. 05

   Fibre already in the wall? Broadband is a separate contract from the meters. Villa: which gate lets the engineer in.

6. 06

   Riders and parcels: does the gate let them in, or is it a locker / management desk. Write the Chinese door number.

7. 07

   A written defect list, Chinese and English, signed or confirmed by company email.

8. 08

   Furniture delivery, if any, is a separate sign-off. Do not mix it with the flat’s defects.

Housing Lane houses: leaks, electrics, window seals, whether you may drill, a missing dryer. Villas: garden drainage, which gate, garage remotes — number the rooms. Japanese bathtubs: the first look in the bathroom. Korean extraction: ask in the first minute. Serviced: still photograph existing marks on the operator’s list.

• Leaving
• Deposit terms

Each guide gives the official process with source links and effective dates, plus the pitfalls we have recorded from real cases. Anything requiring a licence is referred to registered providers only.