How to do a move-in inspection with photos
Do a move-in inspection before you unpack: walk every room with a checklist, photograph or video each wall, floor, fixture and appliance with the date visible, and write down every mark, stain, crack and anything that does not work. Send the list and photos to the landlord by email within the time your lease allows, ask them to confirm receipt, and keep everything until your deposit comes back.
Why it matters: Dated photos on day one protect your deposit when you leave.
Steps
- Ask whether the landlord has an inspection form and when it must be returned.
- Before moving furniture in, walk each room in the same order: ceiling, walls, floor, windows, fixtures.
- Take wide photos and close-ups of every mark, with the date shown or in the file details.
- Test every appliance, faucet, drain, outlet with a phone charger, window and lock.
- Write each issue down with its room and location.
- Email the list and photos to the landlord and ask for confirmation of receipt.
- Save everything in one folder until your deposit is returned.
- Do the same walk-through with photos when you move out.
Stop and call a professional if
- the landlord will not acknowledge your list or later deducts for damage you documented: contact a local tenant rights organization about your state's deposit rules
Common mistakes
- Unpacking first and photographing around boxes.
- Only photographing damage, not the clean areas that prove condition.
- Keeping the list to yourself instead of sending it.
Outside the US or in another state: Deposit return deadlines and inspection rules vary by state and city.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to do a move-in inspection with photos
What to say
Do a move-in inspection before you unpack: walk every room with a checklist, photograph or video each wall, floor, fixture and appliance with the date visible, and write down every mark, stain, crack and anything that does not work. Send the list and photos to the landlord by email within the time your lease allows, ask them to confirm receipt, and keep everything until your deposit comes back.
What to show
- Ask whether the landlord has an inspection form and when it must be returned.
- Before moving furniture in, walk each room in the same order: ceiling, walls, floor, windows, fixtures.
- Take wide photos and close-ups of every mark, with the date shown or in the file details.
- Test every appliance, faucet, drain, outlet with a phone charger, window and lock.
- Write each issue down with its room and location.
- Email the list and photos to the landlord and ask for confirmation of receipt.
- Save everything in one folder until your deposit is returned.
- Do the same walk-through with photos when you move out.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if the landlord will not acknowledge your list or later deducts for damage you documented: contact a local tenant rights organization about your state's deposit rules.
Check question
When should the inspection happen?
Answer: Before you unpack. Empty rooms show every flaw clearly.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US state tenant and landlord handbooks, general guidance, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .