Move-In Checklist for Landlords: The Complete 2026 Guide

Part of the Move-In Records pillar guide. This article is the long, room-by-room checklist version of what the pillar covers at a system level.

A new tenant signs the lease, you hand over the keys, and three hours later you realize you forgot to write down which keys you gave them.

Eighteen months later they hand back four keys. You know you gave them five. You think. Maybe six. There’s no record either way, so you eat the cost of the rekey and move on.

This is how move-in records die: not in one big failure, but in forty small ones. Each one feels minor at the time. Together they’re the reason you can’t prove anything when you need to.

Below is the checklist you should be running before (and during) every move-in. It’s specific on purpose. Vague checklists are why disputes get lost.

Before the tenant arrives

The work that happens before move-in day is the work that nobody sees and that always gets skipped under time pressure. Do it anyway.

Documents and signatures

1. Signed lease, fully executed. Both parties signed, dated, and with initials on every page that requires them.
2. Move-in inspection form prepared with property address, unit number, and tenant name pre-filled.
3. Lead paint disclosure signed if the property was built before 1978.
4. Mold disclosure signed if your state requires it (CA, TX, NJ, and several others do).
5. Bed bug disclosure in states that require it (NY, ME, AZ, and others).
6. Pet addendum signed if applicable, with pet name, breed, weight, and deposit amount.
7. HOA rules acknowledgment if the property is in an HOA.
8. Utilities-transfer instructions with provider names, account setup steps, and the date utilities revert to the tenant.

Funds

9. First month’s rent received and deposited before keys change hands. Not “promised by Friday.” Received.
10. Security deposit received and placed in the correct account per your state’s rules. Some states require a separate interest-bearing account.
11. Pet deposit or pet rent confirmed if applicable.
12. Last month’s rent if you collect it.

Property prep

13. Unit professionally cleaned, with the invoice retained.
14. Carpets cleaned with a date-stamped receipt from the vendor.
15. All locks rekeyed or changed from the previous tenant, and a record of this kept in your maintenance file.
16. HVAC filter replaced with the date written on the filter itself.
17. Smoke detectors tested, fresh batteries installed, and the date noted.
18. Carbon monoxide detectors tested the same way.
19. All light bulbs working in every fixture, including closets and exterior.
20. Appliances tested, fridge cold, dishwasher runs, oven heats, garbage disposal runs without grinding.

Move-in day: keys and access

This is the section that always gets shortcut. Don’t.

21. Photograph each key before handing it over, on a flat surface with a labeled placard (“Front door (Unit 4B) 1/24/26”).
22. Count the keys out loud with the tenant present, and write the count on the inspection form.
23. Include all fobs, garage remotes, mailbox keys, pool keys, gym keys, gate codes. Each one listed by line on the form.
24. Gate or building access codes written down, with the tenant acknowledging receipt in writing.
25. Smart lock codes assigned to the tenant by name and recorded in your system.
26. Mailbox key handoff confirmed, and a note on whether the tenant needs to register with USPS.

If you want a deeper look at how to capture key handoff and the rest of the walkthrough in a single sitting, the 47-item move-in walkthrough is worth pairing with this checklist.

Move-in day: the walkthrough itself

Walk the unit with the tenant. Do not do this from memory afterward.

Entry, living room, hallways

27. Front door, photograph the exterior, interior, lock condition, weather stripping, peephole.
28. Walls in each room, wide shot of each wall, plus close-ups of any existing nail holes, scuffs, paint touchups, or dents.
29. Floors, wide shot, plus close-ups of any scratches, stains, gaps in hardwood, or worn carpet edges.
30. Ceilings, photograph any water stains, cracks, or popcorn-ceiling damage. These get blamed on tenants constantly.
31. Windows, open and close each one. Photograph screens, locks, and any cracks.
32. Blinds and window treatments, photograph each set, noting any bent slats or missing pulls.
33. Light switches and outlets, count them per room and confirm each works.
34. HVAC vents, photograph each one and note dust or damage to grates.

Kitchen

35. Cabinets, open every door and drawer. Photograph the interior of each, plus any chips, water damage, or broken hinges.
36. Countertops, wide shot plus close-ups of any chips, burn marks, or stains.
37. Sink and faucet, run the water hot and cold, check for leaks under the cabinet, photograph the disposal.
38. Appliances, fridge interior (empty and clean), oven interior, dishwasher interior, microwave interior. Note the make, model, and serial number of each.
39. Backsplash and grout, photograph close-up; this is a common dispute zone.

Bathrooms

40. Toilet, flush it, check the base for leaks, photograph the bowl interior and tank.
41. Tub and shower, photograph the surround, caulking lines, drain, and any chips in the porcelain or fiberglass.
42. Vanity, sink, and faucet, same as kitchen, including under-cabinet check for leaks.
43. Tile and grout, close-up photos. Mold spots and grout cracks are easier to argue if they’re documented day one.
44. Mirror, towel bars, toilet paper holders, confirm they’re securely attached and undamaged.
45. Exhaust fan, turn it on. Note if it’s loud, weak, or non-functional.

Bedrooms

46. Closets, open each one, photograph interior, note shelf and rod condition.
47. Carpet edges, close-up at every doorway and corner. This is where pet damage shows up first.
48. Ceiling fans, turn on each speed, note any wobble or noise.
49. Bedroom windows, same as living areas. Egress windows in basements deserve extra attention and a written confirmation that they open.

Laundry, garage, exterior

50. Washer and dryer if included, run a short cycle on each, note make/model/serial, photograph the lint trap and hoses.
51. Garage door, operate it with the remote and the wall button. Photograph the springs, opener, and any damage to the door panels.
52. Exterior walls, trim, and siding visible from the unit, wide shots of each face of the building.
53. Patios, balconies, decks, photograph the surface and railings.
54. Yard condition if the tenant is responsible, wide shots of front, back, and sides, plus close-ups of any bare spots, dead trees, or sprinkler heads.

Safety, utilities, and final paperwork

The last few minutes of move-in day are where most landlords run out of patience. The tenant is unloading boxes. You want to leave. Don’t shortcut these.

Safety items

55. Smoke detector locations, photograph each one with a finger pressing the test button.
56. CO detector locations, same.
57. Fire extinguisher if provided, photograph the gauge and tag.
58. Emergency contact sheet handed to the tenant with your number, maintenance hotline, and after-hours protocol.

Utilities and services

59. Utility transfer confirmation, gas, electric, water, sewer, trash. Get the account numbers or transfer dates on the form.
60. Internet provider info if you have a preferred carrier.
61. Trash and recycling schedule explained and written down.
62. Mail delivery, confirm the address format and any building-specific instructions.

Signatures and copies

63. Move-in inspection form signed and dated by both parties, with every page initialed.
64. Tenant gets a copy, physical and electronic. Don’t promise to email it later. Send it before they leave.
65. You retain a copy in a system that won’t disappear when your phone breaks or you switch property management software.

If you’re still doing this with a paper clipboard and a personal phone, the why paper trails matter piece walks through what happens when those records get lost.

What to do if you missed something

You will miss things. The checklist is long for a reason, and even a careful walkthrough catches maybe 90% of what matters.

The fix is a follow-up window. Tell the tenant in writing they have 72 hours (or whatever your lease specifies) to report any additional damage or issues that weren’t noted at move-in. Anything they report in that window gets added to the record. Anything they don’t report becomes their responsibility at move-out.

Some landlords skip this because they think it invites complaints. The opposite is true: tenants who feel heard at move-in raise fewer disputes at move-out. And the ones who do raise disputes have a much harder time arguing about conditions that were photographed and signed for on day one.

The cost of not doing this

A typical move-out dispute over a deposit runs $300-$1,500 in deductions. If you can prove the condition at move-in, you keep the deduction. If you can’t, you don’t.

Multiply that across a portfolio of 20 units with average 18-month tenancies, and the difference between a good move-in record and a missing one is somewhere between $4,000 and $20,000 per year. That’s not a marketing number, it’s the cost of one or two bad disputes per year in a small portfolio.

Move-in documentation isn’t busywork. It’s the cheapest insurance policy in property management, and the only one that actually pays out.

Once you’ve run this checklist, the question is what happens to all the photos, signatures, and notes. The Move-In Record flow exists to turn this walkthrough into a single timestamped PDF that’s still readable in three years, when you actually need it.