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The Complete Move-In Documentation Checklist for Tenants

Last updated: June 15, 2026

The single best time to protect your security deposit is the day you get the keys — before a single box comes through the door. Whatever condition the unit is in right now, you'll be asked to hand it back in that same condition, and the only way to prove what "that condition" was is to document it. This room-by-room move-in inspection guide covers everything worth photographing, in the same order a professional walkthrough — or a move-in inspection app like Veristamp — would take you through it.

Before you start

• Do the walkthrough before moving anything in — an empty unit hides nothing.
• Confirm your phone's date and time are correct, and charge it fully.
• Bring a flashlight (empty units often have no working bulbs) and your lease.
• Note the exact date you received keys — your baseline date matters in any later dispute.

Every room, every time

Repeat this core pass in each room before moving to room-specific items:

• Wide shots from each corner — context photos prove a close-up wasn't taken somewhere else.
• Floors: stains, scratches, gaps, loose boards, carpet burns and odors.
• Walls and ceiling: nail holes, scuffs, cracks, and especially any water staining.
• Windows: glass condition, locks, screens, sills, and signs of leaks.
• Doors: surfaces, locks, hinges, and door stops (missing stops mean future wall dents get blamed on you).
• Electrical: test every outlet, switch, and light fixture.

Room-by-room specifics

Kitchen

• Inside and outside of every appliance — oven interior, refrigerator seals, dishwasher racks.
• Under the sink: active leaks, water damage, warped cabinet base.
• Countertops (burns, chips), cabinet doors and hinges, range hood and filter.
• Run the faucet: photograph or video water pressure and drainage.

Bathrooms

• Tub and shower: grout, caulk lines, chips, mold or mildew staining.
• Toilet base seal and tank; flush it once.
• Under-sink plumbing, vanity condition, exhaust fan function.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Closet doors, rods, and shelving.
• Blinds and window coverings — bent slats are a classic deduction.
• Smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors: present, mounted, and beeping on test.

Exterior and extras (if applicable)

• Balcony or patio surfaces and railings, mailbox, entry door both sides.
• Garage or parking spot, water heater and HVAC closet, any included storage.
• Meter readings — photograph them to avoid billing disputes too.

Photograph damage twice: close and in context

For anything already damaged, take two photos: a close-up that shows the detail, and a wider shot that proves where in the unit it is. A close-up of a carpet stain proves a stain exists; the context shot proves it exists in this bedroom, of this apartment, on this date. Then report significant issues to your landlord in writing — the paper trail matters as much as the pictures.

The step most tenants miss: making the photos provable

Here's the uncomfortable truth about doing all of the above with your phone's camera: camera-roll photos carry no verifiable timestamps, and everyone involved in a dispute knows it. (See our full comparison: why camera roll photos lose deposit disputes.) Months or years later, "I have photos" only helps if you can show when they were taken and that they weren't altered.

This is exactly what Veristamp was built for. The app walks you through this same checklist room by room, fingerprints every photo with SHA-256 and a UTC timestamp at the instant of capture — even offline in an empty unit with no signal — and can finalize everything into a certified condition report that both you and your landlord sign. Capture is free and unlimited; you only pay if you ever need the certified document. In California, where AB 2801 now requires landlords to photograph rentals, having your own tamper-evident record keeps the evidence balanced. And if things do go wrong, read how to win a security deposit dispute — a documented move-in is most of the battle already won.

This guide is informational, not legal advice. Veristamp is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or notarization services. Laws change — consult a qualified attorney for your situation.