# Move-in checklist: room-by-room inspection and the papers to collect

[Home](/) / [Document guides](/documents) / Move-in checklist

By [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul), Founder, DokuTrak. Published 2026-10-30, updated 2026-10-30.

> **In brief:** A move-in checklist is a written record of a rental’s condition on the day you move in, room by room, signed and dated by the tenant and the landlord. Each of you keeps a copy, and at move-out the same list shows which damage was already there before you arrived.

## What is a move-in checklist?

**A move-in checklist** is a condition report for a rental unit, filled in when the tenancy starts. It lists every room and fixture, notes the state of each one, and points to photos of anything worn or broken. It is not a moving-day to-do list: it is the record your deposit depends on.

HUD’s own model form for the housing it oversees shows the usual layout: one row per item, grouped by room, with a move-in column, a move-out column and a cost-to-correct column ([HUD Handbook 4350.3, Appendix 5: Move-In/Move-Out Inspection Form](https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/90106.pdf)). Landlords and tenants elsewhere borrow that layout because it makes the end-of-lease comparison simple.

Some states make the checklist a condition of keeping a deposit at all, and others set deadlines for it. Rules vary by state, so treat the two examples on this page as examples, not as your state’s law.

## Who sends it, and when

The landlord or property manager usually hands over the form and walks the unit with the tenant, or gives the tenant a few days to fill it in alone. Both sign and date it, and each keeps a signed copy. If your landlord does not offer one, make your own from the list below, send it in writing during the first days, and keep proof you sent it.

## Where to get a move-in checklist

1. Ask the property manager for its move-in inspection form when you sign the lease.
2. If none is offered, print the room list on this page and add any rooms your unit has, such as a laundry room.
3. Walk the empty unit before your boxes arrive, mark each item, and photograph every flaw with a reference number.
4. Sign and date the form, have the landlord sign too, and keep one copy with your lease.

## Wrong files people send instead

- Writing "fine" or "OK" for a whole room instead of a line for each wall, floor and appliance.
- Photos with no date, or that cannot be matched to a line on the form.
- Filling in the form after furniture is in, when stains and scratches are hidden.
- A checklist signed by the tenant only, with no proof the landlord ever received it.
- Testing nothing: a dead oven burner or a broken smoke alarm only noticed months later.

## Room-by-room move-in inspection checklist

Go room by room and give every line a condition code. The rows below follow the groups on HUD’s inspection form, with a few items tenants often forget ([HUD Handbook 4350.3, Appendix 5: Move-In/Move-Out Inspection Form](https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/90106.pdf)).

| Room or area | Check each of these | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Entrance and halls | Steps, handrails, doors, locks, floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, outlets, closets | Loose railings, scuffed doors, sticking locks |
| Living and dining rooms | Floor coverings, walls, ceiling, windows and blinds, lighting, outlets | Carpet stains, nail holes, cracked panes |
| Kitchen | Range and oven, refrigerator, sink and faucet, cabinets, counters, exhaust fan, floor | Burners that do not light, freezer frost, drips under the sink |
| Bathrooms | Toilet, tub or shower, grout and caulk, vanity, mirror, exhaust fan, towel bars | Mold in grout, slow drains, a running toilet |
| Bedrooms | Doors and locks, floors, walls, ceiling, windows and screens, closets, lighting | Torn screens, closet doors off track |
| Outside and storage | Balcony or patio, yard, parking space, storage unit, mailbox | Items left by the last tenant |

## Systems, meters and keys

These lines are easy to skip because they are not in any one room. Add them at the end of the form.

- Heating and air conditioning: run both, even out of season.
- Water heater: run a hot tap until the water is hot, and note any leaks around the tank.
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: press the test button on each one and write down the result.
- Meter readings: electric, gas and water, with the date, so the first bill is not shared with the last tenant.
- Keys and access: the number of door keys, mailbox keys, fobs and garage remotes you received.

## How to fill it in so it holds up later

**A condition code** is a short grade written on each line, such as N for new, G for good, F for fair and D for damaged. Codes keep the form fast to fill in and easy to compare at move-out.

1. Do the walk-through in daylight, with the unit empty and the utilities on.
2. Give each line a code and a few words when it is not new or good, for example "two burn marks left of sink".
3. Take a photo or short video of every flaw and write the photo number on the line.
4. Sign and date the form with the landlord, then send yourself a copy by email so the date is on record.
5. If you find more damage in the first days, add it in writing and send the update to the landlord.

## State rules: two examples, not a full list

There is no single national rule for move-in checklists. Two states show how far the rules can go.

In Washington, a landlord may not collect a deposit unless the lease is in writing and the tenant gets a written checklist describing the unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy ([RCW 59.18.260, Washington deposit and written checklist](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.260)). Both sign and date it, and the tenant gets a copy ([RCW 59.18.260, Washington deposit and written checklist](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.260)). A landlord who takes a deposit without that checklist is liable to the tenant for the deposit ([RCW 59.18.260, Washington deposit and written checklist](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.260)).

In Virginia, the landlord must give the tenant a written report of existing damage within five days after occupancy ([Code of Virginia 55.1-1214, Inspection of dwelling unit; report](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1214/)). The report counts as correct unless the tenant objects in writing within five days of receiving it ([Code of Virginia 55.1-1214, Inspection of dwelling unit; report](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1214/)).

Your state may have a different rule or none at all. Check your state’s landlord and tenant statute, or its attorney general’s tenant guide, before you rely on a deadline.

## Papers to collect and to hand over at move-in

The inspection form is one piece of the move-in file. **A move-in packet** is the set of papers landlord and tenant exchange on day one, and it is worth keeping in one folder. The [tenant document collection guide](/blog/tenant-document-collection) covers how property managers gather it.

The landlord usually collects the signed lease agreement with its addenda, a photo ID for each adult, proof of renters insurance if the lease requires it, the deposit and first rent payment, and vehicle, pet and emergency contact details.

The tenant should leave with a copy of the signed lease, a deposit receipt, the signed inspection form, and move-in instructions such as trash days and how to report repairs. For most housing built before 1978, landlords must also give the EPA lead pamphlet and disclose known lead-based paint before the lease is signed ([EPA, Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule](https://www.epa.gov/lead/real-estate-disclosure)).

## The template: Move-in inspection and documents request to a new tenant

Send this to a new tenant once the lease is signed. Attach your inspection form and set the return date your state allows, if it sets one. For a home built before 1978, the lead pamphlet and disclosure go out before the lease is signed, not with this email.

Subject: Your move-in inspection for [unit address], due [date]

```text
Hi [Client name],

Welcome to [unit address]. Before your keys are released on [move-in date], please send:

- Proof of renters insurance naming us as interested party.
- A photo ID for each adult on the lease.
- Your car and pet details, and an emergency contact.

At move-in you will get a receipt for your deposit and a signed copy of the lease. I attached the move-in inspection form. Please walk each room, mark every line, and add numbered photos of any damage. Sign it and send it back by [date]; I will countersign and return a copy for your records.

Thank you,
[Your name]
[Property management company]
```

## Questions people ask

### Who fills out the move-in checklist, the landlord or the tenant?

Either, but both should sign it. Often the landlord supplies the form and the tenant fills it in during a joint walk-through. Virginia even lets a landlord adopt a policy where the tenant prepares the report ([Code of Virginia 55.1-1214, Inspection of dwelling unit; report](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1214/)).

### Is a move-in checklist required by law?

In some states. Washington requires a signed written checklist before a landlord can collect a deposit ([RCW 59.18.260, Washington deposit and written checklist](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.260)), and Virginia requires a damage report after occupancy ([Code of Virginia 55.1-1214, Inspection of dwelling unit; report](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1214/)). Elsewhere it is still the best record you have.

### Are photos enough without a written checklist?

Photos help, but tie them to a signed written list. A dated form with numbered photos shows both the condition and that the landlord saw it at the start.

### What if I find damage after I sign the checklist?

Write to the landlord right away, describe the damage, attach dated photos and ask that it be added to the form. Keep a copy of what you sent.

**Not advice.** This page is general information, not tax, legal or HR advice. Rules change: check the cited source and ask your own professional before you rely on it. Last reviewed October 25, 2026.

## Sources

- [HUD Handbook 4350.3, Appendix 5: Move-In/Move-Out Inspection Form](https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/90106.pdf): HUD’s model inspection form lists items room by room, from the entrance and halls to the kitchen and bedrooms, with a move-in condition, a move-out condition and a cost-to-correct column.
- [RCW 59.18.260, Washington deposit and written checklist](https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.18.260): A Washington landlord may not collect a deposit without a written rental agreement and a written checklist of the unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy, signed and dated by landlord and tenant, with a copy to the tenant; a landlord who collects a deposit without the checklist is liable to the tenant for the deposit; no deposit may be withheld for wear from ordinary use.
- [Code of Virginia 55.1-1214, Inspection of dwelling unit; report](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55.1/chapter12/section55.1-1214/): A Virginia landlord must give the tenant a written report of existing damage within five days after occupancy, and the report is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within five days of receiving it.
- [EPA, Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule](https://www.epa.gov/lead/real-estate-disclosure): Before a renter signs a lease for most housing built before 1978, landlords and property managers must give the EPA lead pamphlet and disclose known lead-based paint and hazards.

## More on this topic

- [Tenant document collection](/blog/tenant-document-collection)
- [Rental application requirements](/documents/rental-application-requirements)

## About the author

Arthur Teboul (Founder, DokuTrak) is building DokuTrak after watching professionals lose hours chasing clients for documents over email. [Arthur Teboul](/authors/arthur-teboul).

How this page was made (methodology): it is built from the primary sources listed under Sources, and every rule and figure on it links to the source it comes from. Last updated October 25, 2026. Spotted an error or a rule that changed? [Contact us](/contact).

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