Move-out inspection checklist: compare it to move-in

A move-out inspection checklist works best as a comparison: the same rooms, the same items and the same photo angles as the move-in report, checked side by side. Done that way, the owner and the tenant look at the same facts, and the deposit is settled on what changed during the lease.

This guide is for owners, property managers and tenants. It covers how to prepare, what to check room by room, how to tell normal wear from damage and how to close the inspection with a record both sides sign.

Why deposit disputes start at move-out

Deposit disagreements usually come down to one question: was it like this when the tenant moved in? Without a move-in record it's much harder to answer, and the conversation can turn into memory against memory.

Even with a record, the move-out can go wrong. The inspection happens in a rush on the last day, the move-in photos are buried in an old chat, one side isn't there, or a repair the tenant reported months ago gets counted as damage. Any of those can turn a short walkthrough into weeks of messages.

Before the inspection

A little preparation on both sides keeps the walkthrough short:

• Check whether an earlier inspection applies. This guide covers the final walkthrough. Some places give tenants the right to an earlier inspection, a week or two before moving out, to learn about proposed deductions and fix them first (California is one example). Check the rules where the property is.
• Agree on a date and time a few days ahead, in daylight, after the tenant's belongings are out. Both sides should attend if they can. Owners can put the walkthrough time in the move-out letter; our guide on what move-out notice to send the tenant shows what else it should say.
• Bring the move-in report and photos, printed or on a phone, organized by room.
• Keep the utilities on until the inspection, so lights, faucets, appliances and heating can be tested.
• Tenants: clean, remove everything, fix what you agreed to fix, and gather the keys, remotes and access cards you received.
• Owners and managers: list the repairs reported during the lease and how each was resolved, so they aren't confused with new damage. If you did a mid-lease inspection, bring its report too.

If you didn't do a move-in report, our move-in inspection checklist shows how to make one for the next tenancy. For this move-out, use whatever exists: the listing photos, the lease, messages about the unit's condition.

Keep the lease, the move-in report and the repair records together; our guide to organizing rental property documents shows a simple folder system.

Move-out inspection checklist, room by room

Walk the rooms in the same order as the move-in report. For each item, mark it as unchanged, changed through normal wear or other change (describe it and assess it separately), and take a photo from the same angle as the move-in one.

• Entrance and doors: front door, locks, peephole, intercom or doorbell; interior doors, handles and stops.
• Walls and ceilings: holes, marks, scuffs, paint touch-ups in a different shade, water stains, mold.
• Floors: scratches, dents, stains, burns, missing or loose tiles, damaged carpet.
• Windows: glass, latches, screens, blinds or curtains that came with the unit.
• Kitchen: stove and oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, range hood, sink and faucet (run the water and check under the sink), cabinets and drawers, countertop.
• Bathrooms: toilet, sink, shower or tub, grout and caulking, exhaust fan, mirror, any leak.
• Electrical: check that outlets, switches and light fixtures work normally, where it's safe to; test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Leave any suspected fault to a qualified electrician.
• Heating and cooling: turn each unit on; check filters and thermostats.
• Outdoor and storage: balcony, patio, parking space, storage unit.
• Keys and readings: count keys, remotes and cards against the move-in list; take photos of the utility meters.

In a furnished home, also check the furniture, appliances and kitchenware against the move-in inventory, item by item; our furnished rental inventory checklist shows how to build that list.

Normal wear or damage?

The fairest line is between what time and everyday use do to a home and what a specific event or neglect causes. Examples:

The age of the item matters too: a carpet near the end of its life isn't worth a new carpet's price. And a change in condition doesn't show who caused it: leaks can hide inside walls, and a repair the tenant reported earlier may explain what you see. Record the condition first, then assess the likely cause and any deduction separately.

The rules on deposits differ by country and state: what can be deducted, how long the owner has to return the deposit and whether an itemized list is required. Check the rules where the property is before you settle.

Close the inspection with a signed record

Finish the condition record before anyone leaves; the costs can come later:

1. Write down each changed item with its photo, next to the move-in photo of the same spot.
2. Note disagreements as they are. If the two sides see an item differently, write both views; a recorded disagreement is easier to settle later than one nobody wrote down.
3. Ask everyone present to sign and date the record, and share copies the same day. A signature confirms the record of the unit's condition, not agreement to any deduction; say so on the form. If someone is absent or declines to sign, note it and send them a copy.
4. Add the costs when you have them. Tie each deduction to a specific item and attach the invoice or receipt. Use estimates only where local rules allow them, and send the final invoice later if those rules require it.
5. Send the deposit accounting, the refund and an itemized list of any deductions, within the deadline that applies where the property is.

A tenant who disagrees with a deduction can reply in writing with photos. Before going further, put the move-in and move-out photos of that item side by side; the answer is often in them. Tenants preparing for this step can follow our guide to getting your security deposit back, with a sample reply to a deduction.

With the record signed, the next job is getting the unit ready for the next tenant; our rental turnover checklist puts those jobs in order.

How RentalThread will make it easier

With RentalThread, each property's photos and repair history will be kept in its own space, with every repair in its own thread. At move-out, the owner, the manager and the tenant will look at the same record: the move-in photos, each repair the tenant reported and when it was fixed.

Tenants will have their lease, rent receipts and past repairs in one place, and owners will see each property's repairs and costs. See what's planned for owners, property managers and tenants.