How can we help?
Moving in
When should I do the check-in?
On move-in day, before you unpack, while the rooms are empty and the light is good. DepositBack walks you through each room and spot, and you can pause and carry on later. If you've already moved in, you can still add your home and record its condition as it is now.
What should I photograph?
Follow the spots for each room: walls, floor, ceiling, windows, doors, fittings and appliances. Mark anything already damaged or dirty (tap the photo, choose what it is and its size, add a note). Then record the meter readings, the keys and fobs you were given, and the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm tests.
What does “sealed” mean?
Every photo gets a SHA-256 fingerprint when it is taken, together with the time and, if you allow it, the place. When you seal the check-in, DepositBack writes every photo fingerprint, mark, note, meter reading and key count in a fixed order and fingerprints all of it together. That seal is printed on the report. If a photo or detail changes afterwards, it no longer matches. Anyone can check photos against the report at sintios.com/verify.
Is a sealed report proof in court or with the deposit scheme?
It's clear, time-stamped evidence, which is what the deposit schemes ask tenants for. It isn't a certified time-stamping service, and we can't promise that a landlord, scheme adjudicator or court will accept it. Times and places come from your iPhone. DepositBack is not legal advice.
Landlord sign link and housemates
What does my landlord see when they open the sign link?
A page on sintios.com with your sealed check-in report (the PDF you sent), your name, the address and the move-in date. They can sign with a finger and type their name, confirming they reviewed the report, or send comments instead. They can download a signed receipt. They don't need the app or an account. You see in DepositBack when they opened the link and whether they signed or commented.
What is stored on your server, and for how long?
Only what a link needs. For a sign link: the sealed PDF report you send, a short summary (address, your name, the landlord or agent's name, move-in date, page count and the seal fingerprint), and, once they respond, the landlord's name, signature and comments with the time. For a housemate invite: the home's name, your name and basic details of the home (address, dates, deposit, scheme and room names), never photos. Sign links are deleted after 120 days, invites after 30 days. No account and no IP addresses are stored.
How do I delete a sign link early?
In DepositBack, go to the landlord sign link for that report and tap Delete link. The report, signature and comments are removed from sintios.com straight away and the link stops working. A signature already recorded stays in your app.
Who can open the link?
Anyone who has it, so send it only to your landlord or letting agent. Links use long random codes (like 7KQ2-M4XD-P9RT), aren't listed anywhere and are hidden from search engines.
How do housemates work?
With Pro, invite the people you live with by link. Each person installs DepositBack, joins the home and photographs their own room; anyone can shoot the shared rooms. Only the home's basic details travel with the invite; photos stay on each person's iPhone.
Moving out and disputes
How does the move-out comparison work?
At move-out you reshoot the same spots. A faint “ghost” of your check-in photo helps you line up the same angle. DepositBack then puts each pair side by side and points out what may have changed. Suggestions can be wrong (light, cleaning, camera position), so you decide for each one: it was there, fair wear and tear, or a dispute.
My landlord wants to keep part of my deposit. What now?
Add each proposed deduction, answer it (accept, it was there, fair wear and tear, or dispute) and DepositBack works out what to ask back. The dispute pack collects your signed check-in report, before and after pairs, meter readings and a letter, ready for your landlord or for the TDS, DPS or mydeposits dispute service. Key dates are a guide based on deposit rules in England and Wales; check your scheme's own deadlines.
Does it work outside England and Wales?
Photos, seal, report, sign link and comparison work anywhere. Reminders, wording and the dispute pack are written for tenancies in England and Wales and the TDS, DPS and mydeposits schemes. DepositBack is in English only for now.
Pricing and your data
What's free, what's the Move pass, and what's Pro?
Free: one home with guided photos, stamps, the seal, photo export and key dates. Move pass (one-off, one home until move-out): the PDF report and sign link, the inventory response, the move-out comparison and the dispute pack. Pro yearly (with a 7-day free trial): everything in the Move pass for unlimited homes, plus housemates. There are no ads in any version.
I bought a Move pass. Why doesn't “Restore” bring it back?
A Move pass is a one-off purchase for one home, kept on this iPhone (it moves with your iPhone backup and is included in “Export all data”). Apple's Restore brings back subscriptions such as Pro, not one-off passes that were already used. If something went wrong, email us with the date of purchase.
A Move pass bought on sintios.com is different: it is kept in your Sintios account, so signing in on another iPhone with the same email unlocks the same home again, without using another pass.
Where are my photos stored?
Only on your iPhone, in DepositBack's private storage. We never receive your photos, except the photos inside a PDF report you choose to send with a sign link. Use Settings, Export all data, to keep a copy (ZIP), and delete a home to delete its photos.
How do I cancel Pro?
Bought in the app: in the Settings app, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then DepositBack. Cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Bought on sintios.com: sign in at sintios.com/account and choose Manage billing. You keep Pro until the end of the period you paid for.