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The signed room-by-room inspection that decides the deposit dispute two years later.
The move-in checklist is the document that settles most deposit disputes at move-out. Judges ask for the signed, itemized list long before they watch a video.
A usable checklist is specific. Each room is a category with its own rows, and each row gets a condition rating so you can tell a scuff from a burn. A form that only said OK is useless when a tenant disputes a deduction.
Both parties sign on day one, at key handover. Pair the checklist with timestamped photos of every room. The signed list establishes the starting condition, and the photos prove it. Without both, a deduction two years later rests on memory and usually loses.
Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist Property: [UNIT ADDRESS] Date: [DATE] Checklist completed: ( ) Move-in ( ) Move-out Rate each item: G = good, F = fair, P = poor/damaged. Add notes for anything not G. ENTRY & DOORS [ ] Front door and locks ............. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Keys / fobs issued ............... ____ Notes: ____________________ LIVING ROOM [ ] Walls and paint .................. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Flooring / carpet ................ ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Windows and screens .............. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Blinds ........................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Electrical outlets ............... ____ Notes: ____________________ KITCHEN [ ] Refrigerator ..................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Stove and oven ................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Dishwasher ....................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Cabinets and counters ............ ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Sink and faucet .................. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Smoke detector ................... ____ Notes: ____________________ BATHROOMS [ ] Toilet ........................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Tub / shower and grout ........... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Sink and faucet .................. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Mirror and cabinets .............. ____ Notes: ____________________ BEDROOMS [ ] Walls and paint .................. ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Flooring / carpet ................ ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Closets and doors ................ ____ Notes: ____________________ SYSTEMS & UTILITIES [ ] Heating / AC ..................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Water heater ..................... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Smoke and CO detectors ........... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Lead disclosure (pre-1978): given ( ) n/a ( ) EXTERIOR / COMMON [ ] Parking assignment ............... ____ Notes: ____________________ [ ] Mailbox key ...................... ____ Notes: ____________________ Tenant signature: _______________________ Date: ___________ Landlord/agent signature: _______________ Date: ___________ Both parties received a copy. Attach timestamped photos of every room to this document.
Use both. Small-claims judges ask for the signed document first; video settles the disputes the document cannot (a crack that "was already there"). Most deposit disputes are decided on the signed checklist, not the video.
Before, at key handover. Some landlords allow 24 to 48 hours for the tenant to note additional items; that works only if the amendment window is written and closes with a countersignature. Never leave it open-ended.
Yes, and many managers do, alongside the lease and the federal lead-based-paint disclosure for pre-1978 units. If a tenant refuses to sign, document the refusal in writing and proceed; the move-in condition still has to be established for the deposit math at move-out.
Tenanture replies to inbound inquiries, checks them against your published criteria, and only pings you when something needs a human. Pair any of these calculators with a leasing assistant that never sleeps.