Guide13 min read
Choosing property inspection software: the 12 criteria that matter
Property inspection software: the 12 criteria to compare, the questions to ask each vendor and how to test the tool before signing.
The homePad team
Good property inspection software produces a document that holds up in a dispute, works in a cellar with no network and saves field teams time. To choose it, compare vendors on twelve criteria, ask each of them the same questions and test the tool on a real visit before signing.
An inspection report carried out on a tablet has the same value as a paper document if it contains what the law of your country requires and if each party receives a copy. Our guide to digital inspection reports details the method. What the law provides in 2026:
Decree no. 2016-382 of 30 March 2016 allows the inspection report in electronic form if it contains the mandatory particulars and is given to each party. Drawn up jointly at move-in and move-out, it is attached to the lease (art. 3-2 of law no. 89-462 of 6 July 1989). For furnished lets, an inventory of the furniture is mandatory (art. 25-5).
The Swiss Code of Obligations requires neither an inspection report nor any particular form; it remains the best evidence when the property is returned, when the landlord must check its condition and notify defects immediately (art. 267a CO). The new tenant may ask to see the report of the previous move-out (art. 256a CO). In the canton of Vaud, the Rules and Customs on Leasing (Règles et usages locatifs, RULV), in force since 1 July 2026, provide for a move-in and move-out inspection report drawn up with both parties present, who sign it on site (art. 1 and 36 RULV).
The move-in inspection report is mandatory, detailed and drawn up jointly, while the premises are unoccupied or during the first month of occupation: art. 220 of the Brussels Housing Code (registered with the lease), art. 27 of the Walloon decree of 15 March 2018, art. 9 of the Vlaams Woninghuurdecreet. Failing agreement, the justice of the peace appoints an expert.
If a rental deposit is provided for, a written inspection report drawn up jointly must be signed no later than the day the tenant takes possession (art. 5(2) of the amended law of 21 September 2006). Without an inspection report, the tenant is presumed to have received the premises in a good state of tenant's repairs (art. 1731 of the Civil Code).
Where should you start before comparing inspection apps?
First put figures on your needs, which set the weight of each criterion: volume of reports, field headcount, types of visit, management software, peaks in activity. A student residence concentrates its move-outs into a few summer weeks; a property manager spreads them across the year.
The 12 criteria for choosing property inspection software
1. A full offline mode
Offline mode lets you carry out the whole inspection report without a connection, then sync when the network comes back. Cellars, underground car parks, new buildings: the network is often missing there.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Can you take photos, have the report signed and generate the PDF without a network?
- What happens to the data if the device switches off before syncing?
2. The legal value of the signature
An electronic signature carries more weight the better the process identifies the signatory and guarantees the integrity of the document. In the European Union, the eIDAS regulation (no. 910/2014) distinguishes three levels: simple, advanced and qualified; only the qualified signature has the legal effect of a handwritten signature (art. 25.2), but none may be rejected solely on the grounds that it is electronic (art. 25.1). Switzerland has its own regime.
An electronic signature is equivalent to a handwritten signature if the process identifies the signatory and guarantees the integrity of the document (art. 1366 and 1367 of the Civil Code). Reliability is presumed for the qualified signature (decree no. 2017-1416 of 28 September 2017).
eIDAS does not apply. Only a qualified electronic signature with a qualified electronic time stamp, within the meaning of the Federal Act on Electronic Signatures (SCSE, SR 943.03), is treated as equivalent to a handwritten signature (art. 14 para. 2bis CO). Since the inspection report does not require written form, a simple or advanced signature remains evidence that the court assesses freely.
eIDAS applies directly. Book 8 of the Civil Code (law of 13 April 2019) defines the signature as a sign made by hand, by electronic means or by another process (art. 8.1, 2°); a simple or advanced signature counts as a signature, but its reliability can be challenged in court. Trust services (electronic archiving, registered delivery and time stamping) fall under Title 2 of Book XII of the Code of Economic Law; no one can be forced to perform a legal act electronically (art. XII.25).
eIDAS applies directly. The signature may be handwritten or electronic; an electronic signature consists of a set of data inseparably linked to the deed, which guarantees its integrity (art. 1322-1 of the Civil Code, law of 14 August 2000 on electronic commerce). The electronic deed is equivalent to an original if it offers reliable guarantees of integrity (art. 1322-2).
Questions to ask the vendor:
- What level of signature do you offer, and how is the signatory identified?
- How do you prove that the document has not been changed after signing?
3. Time-stamped photos attached to the finding
A photo only proves something if you know when and where it was taken, and which element it relates to.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Can the user change the time and location?
- Is each photo linked to its line in the report and included in the PDF in good resolution?
4. Templates in your brand, for all your reports
Your documents must carry your logo, your legal notices and your structure. Check the other reports too: pre-inspection, a visit made before the tenant leaves to point out the repairs expected of them; furniture inventory, a jointly drawn-up list of the furniture in a furnished let; technical building visit; works report; deposit deductions.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Can we change the structure, the elements and the condition scale ourselves?
- How many templates are included?
5. Simplicity for field teams
The best test: ask a member of staff who has never seen the tool to carry out a two-room inspection report, without help.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Does the app work on smartphone and tablet, iOS and Android?
- Can observations be dictated?
6. The move-in / move-out comparison
The comparison places the condition of each element at move-in and at move-out side by side. It is the basis for deductions from the deposit, whose return is subject to statutory time limits, and it must be kept for as long as a claim remains possible.
Deposit returned within one month if the move-out matches the move-in, two months otherwise (art. 22 of the law of 6 July 1989). Claims arising from a lease are, in principle, time-barred after three years (art. 7-1).
Deposit of at most 3 months' rent, in an account in the tenant's name, released with the agreement of the parties, on a payment order that has not been opposed, or on a court judgment; if the landlord has made no claim in court or through debt enforcement within the year following the end of the lease, the tenant can recover it (art. 257e CO). Limitation: 5 years for rent (art. 128 CO), 10 years as a general rule (art. 127 CO).
Deposit released by written agreement of the parties or by a court decision; in Brussels, returned within two months of the tenant leaving for leases signed since 1 November 2024 (art. 248 and 249 of the Brussels Housing Code); Wallonia: art. 62 of the decree of 15 March 2018; Flanders: art. 37 of the Woninghuurdecreet. Limitation: 5 years for rent (art. 2277 of the old Civil Code), 10 years for personal actions (art. 2262bis).
Where the move-out inspection report matches the move-in one, subject to normal wear and tear, and the landlord makes no claim for unpaid rent or rental damage, half of the deposit is returned within one month of the handover of the keys; the balance, after deduction of duly justified sums, no later than one month after receipt of the service charge statements or the final approval of the co-ownership's annual accounts; any delay increases the sum due by 10% of the monthly rent for each month or part month, after formal notice (art. 5(2bis) of the amended law of 21 September 2006). Limitation: 5 years for rent (art. 2277 of the Civil Code), 30 years under ordinary law (art. 2262).
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Does the move-out automatically carry over the structure and photos of the move-in?
- Can a move-in done on paper or in another tool be used as the starting point?
7. Teamwork and history
As soon as there are two of you, you need to assign visits, track their status and find every report by unit, building or contact. Keep the history at least for the limitation period of your country (see the box under criterion 6).
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Which roles can be defined, and across several agencies?
- Is a record kept of every time a report is sent?
8. Integration with your management software
An API (application programming interface) lets two pieces of software exchange data without re-entry. Units, contacts and leases come into the inspection tool; reports and deductions go back out.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Is your API documented, and is there an integration with our software?
- Who pays for and maintains the connector?
9. Data security and the GDPR
The vendor that hosts your reports is your processor: a contract must govern what it does with the data, within the meaning of article 28 of the GDPR in the European Union and of article 9 of the Federal Act on Data Protection in Switzerland. Our GDPR checklist lists the points to check for the four countries.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Can you provide the data processing agreement and the list of your sub-processors?
- Are our photos used to train AI models?
10. Hosting, export and reversibility
Reversibility is the ability to get back all your data in a usable format so you can change tools without losing anything. Write it into the contract, along with the hosting country.
The processor returns or deletes the data at the end of the contract (art. 28.3.g of the GDPR). Hosting outside the European Economic Area requires safeguards (chapter V of the GDPR).
The FADP (LPD) has no express equivalent of art. 28.3.g: provide for the return of data in the processing agreement (art. 9 FADP). Hosting abroad is permitted towards countries deemed adequate by the Federal Council, including all EU and EEA states (art. 16 FADP and annex 1 of the Data Protection Ordinance, OPDo); in the United States, only with an organisation certified under the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (since 15 September 2024). The EU, for its part, recognises Switzerland as an adequate country.
Same rules as in France (art. 28.3.g and chapter V of the GDPR), under the supervision of the APD.
Same rules as in France (art. 28.3.g and chapter V of the GDPR), under the supervision of the CNPD.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- In which country is the data hosted?
- At the end of the contract, within what time frame, at what cost and in which formats do we get back the PDFs and the data?
11. The pricing model
Three models dominate: per report (often in credits), per user or flat fee. Work out the annual cost on your real volume and your busiest month, options included.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- What is invoiced on top of the advertised price?
- Are unused credits carried over?
12. Onboarding support and importing your history
A tool that is badly launched is soon abandoned by the field teams. Your old reports must remain accessible and attached to the right units, so that future move-outs can be compared with past move-ins.
Questions to ask the vendor:
- Who trains our teams, and does support answer during visit hours?
- Do you import our historical data, in what format and at what cost?
What homePad does for you
Since 2013, homePad has equipped more than 3,000 client firms in 4 European countries, with 2.5 million reports generated.
- homePad App: full offline mode with syncing, time-stamped and geolocated photos, certified, time-stamped and geolocated electronic signature, automatic PDF, voice dictation.
- Templates in your brand for inspection reports, technical visits, inventories, deposit deductions and works reports, unlimited and configurable from the Pro plan.
- homePad Reports: visit assignment, move-out duplicated from the move-in, history by unit, building and contact, AI move-in / move-out comparison report, roles and several entities.
- homePad One: open API, data export, import of your history; the Entreprise plan integrates your ERP if its vendor has an API.
- Starter, Pro and Entreprise plans, 1 credit = 1 report. See also the real estate agents page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best property inspection software?
The right choice depends on your volume, your teams and your management software. Weight the twelve criteria according to your uses, rule out tools that are weak on offline mode, the signature or security, then test the finalists on a real visit.
Is an inspection report done on a tablet legally valid?
Yes, in all four countries, if it contains what the law requires and if each party receives a copy. The electronic signature must identify the signatory and guarantee the integrity of the document; only the qualified signature is automatically equivalent to a handwritten one. The rules for each country are in the boxes at the start of the article and under criterion 2.
Is a free property inspection app good enough for professionals?
Rarely. Check the same points on a free app as on a paid plan: signature, photo time stamps, offline mode, data export and a GDPR data processing agreement. A weak report often costs more than a subscription from the first disputed deduction.
Can you do a property inspection without an internet connection?
Yes, if the software has a full offline mode. Check that taking photos, signing and generating the PDF work without a network, and that the data syncs automatically when the connection comes back.
How much does property inspection software cost?
The price depends on the model: per report, per user or flat fee. Work out the annual cost on your real volume and on your busiest month, options included (templates, plans, integration, training), before comparing offers.
How do you get your old inspection reports back when you switch software?
Ask the former vendor for a full export, PDFs and structured data: as a processor, it must return the data at the end of the contract (a GDPR obligation; in Switzerland, to be provided for in the contract). Then ask the new vendor whether it imports them and attaches them to the right units, so that your future move-outs can be compared with past move-ins.
- property inspection software
- inspection app
- electronic signature
- offline mode