Learn Dutch: Afgezien van die vlek is het appartement klaar voor de eindinspectie. - Apart from that stain, the apartment is ready for the final inspection.

Because this complex phrase occupies the first position in the sentence, it triggers the standard Dutch V2 (verb-second) rule. The main verb is must take the second position, which pushes the subject het appartement after the verb. Placing the exception first like this is a great way to frame the topic before making your main point.

Does afgezien always have to be paired with van?

Yes, when used to mean 'apart from' or 'except for', it is a fixed combination. It stems from the verb afzien van (to abandon or forego), but here it acts as a complex preposition that brackets out an exception.

Could I just use behalve instead of afgezien van here?

Grammatically, yes. Behalve die vlek also means 'Except for that stain.' However, afgezien van is a bit more formal and objective, which fits perfectly with the official context of an eindinspectie (final inspection).

Why does the compound noun eindinspectie get the article de?

For all compound nouns in Dutch, the final part of the word determines the gender and the article. Because inspectie is a de word (like almost all Dutch words ending in -ie), the entire compound eindinspectie also takes de.