How do I record existing damage so I'm not charged for it later?

An empty apartment is the clearest evidence you'll ever have. Do this on handover day, before the movers arrive.

1. Start with a video walkthrough. Narrate the room and date as you go.
2. Take wide shots of each room from the doorway, then each wall.
3. Take close-ups of every mark: scratches, chips, stains, cracked tiles, holes, loose fittings. Put a coin or pen in the shot for scale.
4. Open things up: cupboards, the oven, the fridge, under sinks, the balcony.
5. Photograph the meters (DEWA, chiller, gas) and appliance model labels.
6. Keep the originals. The file date and time are part of your evidence, so back them up to the cloud.

Write it room by room:

Living room: 10 cm scratch on the floor by the balcony door (photo 12). Bedroom 2: water stain on the ceiling above the wardrobe (photos 18 and 19).

1. Send the list and photos to your landlord or agent by email or WhatsApp.
2. Ask them to confirm the defects were there at handover.
3. Ideally, add the list to the signed condition report, with a copy each.
4. No reply? Follow up in writing. Your sent message still shows when you reported it.

Acknowledging damage isn't the same as agreeing to fix it, so make repair requests separately.

Store the photos, list and any replies until your security deposit is back. At move-out, take the same photos again to compare.