Move-In and Move-Out Inspections

What to look at in every room

From the guide’s own room by room list. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

• Ceilings, walls and floors: color, material, and any marks, nail holes, stains or wear.
• Doors, locks, trim and closets: open, close and lock each one.
• Windows, tracks, screens and blinds: open each window, check the locks, and note any broken cords or bent slats.
• Outlets, switches and light fixtures: test each one and note any that do not work.
• Kitchen: every appliance, burner, the oven, fan and light, the sink, disposal and the cabinet floor under the sink.
• Bathrooms: fan, toilet, tub or shower, caulk and grout color, water spots on glass, towel racks and the cabinet under the sink.
• Heating, water heater and filter: note the filter size, or that it could not be found or reached.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: test each one and write down the date printed on the label.

All done. Every room has its own record.

Give every item a comment, in any condition, with photos to match. Bunklow Walk makes this simple, line by line. See Bunklow Walk.

A few things to avoid

• Please avoid one word comments like “fine” or “terrible.” Describe what you see and where it is.
• Please don’t leave a line blank. If a room or item does not exist, write “none” or “does not apply.”
• Please don’t rush. A careful walk takes about an hour for most homes, and that hour can save a great deal of worry later.
• Please don’t sign a report you have not read. Take a moment, ask questions, and add anything that is missing.

Open every cabinet under every sink with a flashlight, and run your hand along the cabinet floor. It is the one spot almost everyone skips, and it is where slow leaks and old water stains hide.

If you find something after move in

1. Take clear photos right away, one wide and one close up.
2. Write a short note describing what you found and exactly where it is.
3. Share it in writing, the same day if you can, with whoever handles repairs.
4. If your lease gives you a few days to add items to the move in report, use that time. It is there to help you.
5. Keep a copy of everything you send, along with the date.
6. If it is a repair, follow up kindly in writing until it is taken care of. You have done exactly the right thing by sharing it.

Before you start, take one photo of the front of the home and one of the thermostat showing the date and time. Then walk every room in the same direction, left to right. Your photos will line up neatly with your report.

Before the walk through

From the guide’s list for getting ready. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

• Finish every repair, cleaning and paint touch up before the walk through, so the report shows the home as it truly is.
• Replace the furnace filter and write down its size.
• Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm and note the date on each label.
• Have keys, remotes, mailbox keys and any gate codes ready, and list them in the overall statement.
• Start the report with a short overall statement of the home’s condition, then walk room by room.
• Give every item a comment, in any condition, with photos to match.

All done. The home is ready to be walked together.

At move out

From the guide’s move out list. Tick each one as you go. Your ticks stay on this device. These are examples; your home may need others.

• Walk the home with the move in report in hand, item by item, in the same order.
• Compare, don’t remember. If the move in report says “white walls, no marks,” the move out note can simply say what changed.
• Describe what you see and where it is. “Three nail holes, living room, east wall” is clear and fair.
• Note what still works, too. “Hot water working” or “fan tested, working” matters as much as what needs repair.
• Take matching photos from the same angles as move in whenever you can.
• Flag anything that needs a follow up so it does not get lost.
• Share the move out report and any itemized deductions in writing, within the time the local rules allow.

All done. Move out is a simple, fair comparison.

Ask to see the move in report again a week before move out. Walking the home yourself with it in hand is the best way to see what to clean or fix.

Normal wear or damage?

Normal wear is what happens when people simply live in a home: light scuffs, a few small nail holes, carpet that has worn in walkways, faded paint.

Damage is something beyond everyday living, like large holes, burns, pet stains, broken blinds or fixtures. A clear move in report is what makes the difference easy to see.

Describe, don’t just rate. “Oven has heavy buildup on the racks and door glass” tells everyone exactly what was there and what needs care.

Write down where it is. “Bedroom, first door on the left, window sill” is far clearer than “bedroom window.”

Guides that go well with this one

• Normal Wear and Tear vs Damage
• Security Deposits Explained
• Move-Out Cleaning
• Moving Day Checklist
• Getting a Home Ready for New Tenants

Helpful resources

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Tenant Rights and LawHelp.org: legal information and referrals by state. Every state handles deposits a little differently, including return timelines and what can be deducted, so we’d gently encourage a quick look at the rules where your home is. A local landlord or tenant association or an attorney in your area can help.