What should be on a move-in inspection checklist?

Every room, broken into its parts: floors, walls and ceilings, windows and screens, doors, lights and outlets, and then what is specific to the room, like each kitchen appliance or the tub, grout, and caulk in a bathroom. Add the things that belong to no room: heating and cooling, the water heater, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, meter readings, and the keys you hand over. Each line needs a condition rating, a note, the photos that show it, and room for the tenant to agree or disagree.

Should the tenant sign the move-in checklist?

Yes. Walk the unit together, let the tenant write their own notes on any line they see differently, and have both of you sign and date the last page. Each of you keeps a copy. Rules on move-in checklists vary by state, so check yours.

Can I use the same checklist at move-out?

Yes, and you should. Print a fresh copy, walk the same lines in the same order, and compare the two copies line by line. Using the same list is what makes the comparison fair to both sides.

Move-in inspection checklist template

Every room, broken into the parts that end up in an argument a year later: the counters, the grout, the closet doors, the number of keys. Walk the unit with your tenant on move-in day, rate each line, note the photo that shows it, and both sign at the bottom.

Move-in inspection checklist columns

The move-in-inspection-checklist-template.csv file has these columns, in this order.

room
item
condition
notes
photo_files
tenant_agrees
tenant_notes

How to fill in each column

room and item are filled in for you. condition is a number from 1 to 4. 1 means new or as new, with no marks. 2 means good: light marks from ordinary use. 3 means fair: visible wear or minor damage, but it works. 4 means poor: damaged, worn out, or not working. Write the scale at the top of the printout so you and the tenant rate the same way. notes is what you see, with a size and a place: "two-inch scorch mark left of the range," not "counter damaged." photo_files is the file names of the photos that show that line, like kitchen-counter-01.jpg. tenant_agrees is yes or no, and tenant_notes is for the tenant to write what they see in their own words.

Walk it with the tenant, before the furniture

Do the walk-through the day the keys change hands, while the unit is empty. A couch hides the carpet stain that becomes the argument later. Bring the tenant. A line they rated themselves is hard for anyone to dispute. Test what you can test. Run every faucet and look under the sink. Flush the toilet. Turn on each burner. Press the test button on every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Count the keys out loud and write the number down. Rules on move-in checklists and inspections vary by state, so check yours before move-in day.

Name the photos so they match the line

Take wide photos of each room, then close ones of anything rated 3 or 4. Rename them to match the checklist line, kitchen-counter-01.jpg and bath-tub-01.jpg, and keep them in one folder named for the unit and the date. A photo nobody can tie to a line on the form is a lot less use than you think.

Use the same list at move-out

Keep the signed move-in copy with the lease. At move-out, print a fresh copy and walk the same lines in the same order. Put the two side by side and the differences are right there, line by line. That comparison is what the move-in checklist was for.

What to leave off

Prices and blame. A checklist with dollar amounts reads like a bill, and a note that says "tenant broke the blind" is a conclusion, not a record. Rate the condition, describe what you see, and stop there.

Do the walk-through on your phone

LeaseRooster builds the condition report from the unit's rooms, takes photos and short videos as you go, and sends it to the tenant to review and sign.