Part of the Move-In Records pillar guide. This is the verbal-script, walk-the-unit-with-the-tenant version. The pillar covers the system this script slots into.
The reason most move-in walkthroughs are bad is not that the landlord doesn’t care. It’s that the walkthrough is happening in real time, the tenant is standing right there with a moving truck running outside, and “inspect the kitchen” is not a useful instruction.
You need a list. Numbered. Specific. Short enough to actually run through.
Below are the 47 things every property manager should document at every move-in. The order matches the order you’d walk a unit in real life. Each item names what to do and what to photograph. Print this out, save it to your phone, or build it into whatever tool you use, but run it every time.
Keys, locks, and access (items 1-7)
Start here because keys are the thing you’ll most regret not documenting later.
1. Photograph every key on a flat surface with a label card: address, unit, date. Front door, back door, deadbolt, mailbox, garage, gym, pool, gate, every one.
2. Count the keys out loud with the tenant present. Write the count on the move-in form. “Five keys handed over on 1/24/26” closes a loophole that costs landlords money at move-out.
3. Document all fobs and remotes, garage openers, building fobs, parking gate clickers. Photograph each one with its label or serial.
4. Record all access codes, gate codes, building codes, smart lock codes. Note who can change them and how.
5. Confirm rekey or lock change from previous tenant. Either you did it, or it didn’t happen. If you did it, the receipt or work order date goes in the file.
6. Photograph each exterior door and lock, frame, weather stripping, deadbolt engagement, peephole. Note any prior damage.
7. Confirm mailbox key works and the tenant knows the address format for mail.
Safety equipment (items 8-13)
This is the section where missing documentation can turn into a serious liability problem, not just a deposit problem.
8. Photograph each smoke detector with a finger on the test button. The photo should show the LED light or hear-the-chirp moment.
9. Photograph each CO detector the same way. CO detectors are required by lease and law in most states; this is not optional.
10. Note the install date or battery date on each detector. If you replaced batteries before move-in, write the date on the unit itself with a marker.
11. Test the fire extinguisher if you provide one. Photograph the gauge in the green and the inspection tag.
12. Confirm emergency egress in every bedroom and basement. Each window required for egress should open. Photograph each.
13. Hand the tenant a written emergency contact sheet, your number, the maintenance line, after-hours protocol, gas shutoff location, water shutoff location, electric panel location. Tenant signs that they received it.
Utilities and services (items 14-18)
The boring middle section. Skip it and you’ll regret it.
14. Confirm utility transfer dates for gas, electric, water, sewer, and trash. Write the account setup confirmations on the form.
15. Photograph all utility meters with current readings. This protects both parties on the first month’s bills.
16. Explain trash and recycling schedule in writing. Pickup days, where cans go, what’s recycled.
17. Note included utilities explicitly. If you pay water, that goes on the form. If the tenant pays everything, that goes on the form.
18. Internet, cable, and any HOA-related services, note any preferred providers or required setup steps.
Entry, hallways, common areas (items 19-23)
Now you start walking the unit.
19. Photograph the entry from outside the front door, door condition, hardware, threshold.
20. Wide shot of the entry interior, walls, floor, ceiling, light fixture.
21. Photograph the coat closet or entry closet, door, shelf, rod, floor.
22. Document hallway walls and floor, wide shots of each hallway, close-ups of any scuffs, scratches, or paint touch-ups.
23. Test every light switch on the way through. Photograph any non-working bulbs and replace them before move-in.
Living room (items 24-26)
24. Four wide shots from each corner of the living room. This single step gives you the most useful set of wide reference images for a move-out comparison.
25. Close-ups of any existing damage, nail holes, paint chips, carpet stains, scratches on the floor. Each gets a wide-plus-close-up pair.
26. Document windows, blinds, and screens, open and close each window, photograph any cracks or worn weather stripping.
Kitchen (items 27-33)
The kitchen has more individual items than any other room and is the most expensive area to repair after a bad tenancy.
27. Photograph every cabinet interior with the door open. Note any water damage, broken hinges, or chipped finishes.
28. Wide and close-up shots of the countertops, full surface plus any chips, burns, or stains.
29. Sink, faucet, and under-cabinet area, run hot and cold water, check for leaks, photograph the disposal and trap.
30. Document each appliance (make, model, serial number) and photograph the interior and any visible damage. Refrigerator (empty), oven, dishwasher, microwave, range.
31. Photograph the backsplash and grout close-up. This is a common dispute zone at move-out.
32. Test the range hood and exhaust fan. Note if either is loud, weak, or non-functional.
33. Open and close the dishwasher and refrigerator with the tenant watching. Demonstrate that they operate correctly.
Bathrooms (items 34-39)
Run this for each bathroom in the unit.
34. Flush the toilet and check for leaks at the base. Photograph the bowl and tank.
35. Run the tub and shower for at least 30 seconds. Check drains and water pressure. Photograph any chips in the porcelain or fiberglass.
36. Photograph the caulking lines around the tub, shower, and sink. Existing cracks or yellowing get a close-up.
37. Vanity, sink, and under-cabinet check. Run the water, look for leaks, photograph any damage or staining.
38. Document tile and grout condition with close-ups of any mold, missing grout, or loose tiles.
39. Test the exhaust fan and confirm mirror, towel bars, and toilet paper holder are secure.
Bedrooms (items 40-43)
Run this for each bedroom.
40. Four corner wide shots of each bedroom, same as the living room.
41. Photograph the closet interiors, doors open, shelves, rods, floors.
42. Document the carpet condition at every doorway and corner. Close-ups of any stains, worn edges, or pet damage.
43. Test ceiling fans at all speeds. Note any wobble, noise, or non-working bulbs.
Exterior, garage, outdoor (items 44-46)
44. Wide shots of each exterior wall visible from the unit, plus the front and back yards.
45. Garage door operation, open and close with the remote and wall button. Photograph the springs, opener, and door panels.
46. Patios, balconies, decks, and railings, wide shots of the surface and close-ups of any damage. Note grill restrictions or other lease-specific items.
Paperwork (item 47)
47. Sign and copy. The move-in form gets signed and dated by both parties. Every page initialed. The tenant gets a complete copy before they leave the unit, physical and electronic. You retain a copy in a system that won’t disappear when you switch phones or property management software.
This last item is the one most landlords shortcut, and it’s also the one that decides whether everything you just did is worth anything in a dispute.
How to actually use this list
Three things make this checklist work in practice.
Run it in order, every time
The order isn’t arbitrary. Keys first because they’re the most likely thing to be forgotten. Safety second because it’s the highest liability. Utilities third because they affect the first month’s bills. Room-by-room after that.
Running the same order every time means you stop missing items. It also means a move-out walkthrough run in the same order pairs naturally with the move-in record.
Take photos as you go, not at the end
The temptation is to walk the unit first and shoot at the end. Don’t. By item 30 you’ll have forgotten what you noticed at item 12. Wide shot, close-up, next item.
Sign before the tenant unpacks
Once the tenant’s stuff is in the unit, the photos lose value. Furniture covers walls and floors. The form needs to be signed before the moving truck unloads, or at the very least before the tenant has been in the unit for 72 hours.
What happens after the walkthrough
The list above gets you 47 items of evidence. The question is what happens to it next. Forty-seven items spread across a camera roll, an email thread, and a paper form is not the same as 47 items in a single document you can find a year from now.
For the broader story of how this fits into a defensible record (and what happens when you can’t find the right photo at the right moment) the why paper trails matter piece is worth reading. For a deeper look at the move-in checklist itself, the complete 2026 guide covers the items above plus the prep work that happens before the tenant arrives.
The reason this checklist exists, and the reason it’s 47 items rather than 10, is that the disputes you lose are not the ones where the tenant is right. They’re the ones where you can’t prove you’re right, and proving it usually comes down to whether you ran one of these 47 items at move-in.
