Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist

A move-in inspection records the condition of the unit before the tenant has lived in it. At move-out, you walk the same list again, and the difference between the two columns is what you can fairly charge to the security deposit.

Without a signed move-in record, it is your word against the tenant's about whether a scratch, stain or broken blind was already there. Several states require landlords to offer a move-in checklist, and courts look for one when a deposit deduction is disputed.

Walk the unit with the tenant at move-in, room by room, and write down the condition of every item, even the ones in good shape. Take dated photos as you go, and both sign the sheet. Give the tenant a copy.

At move-out, use the same sheet. Normal wear and tear, such as faded paint or light carpet wear after years of living, is generally not deductible; damage beyond that, such as holes, burns or broken fixtures, usually is.

A two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a laundry closet gets eight sections: entry, living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, the bathroom and the laundry, each listing the walls, floors, fixtures and appliances that room typically has.