Move-Out Inspection Checklist for Landlords, Room by Room

A move-out inspection is a room-by-room record of what a rental looks like on the day the tenant hands it back. Done well, it answers one question months later without anyone relying on memory: what changed between move-in and move-out, and what did it look like?

I spent four years as a property manager and did my own inspections, so this checklist is built the way you actually walk a unit: one room at a time, in the same order every time. Use it as is or adapt it to your properties.

Before you walk the unit

Still in the middle of a tenancy? Use our routine rental inspection checklist and repair follow-up log for maintenance visits while the home is occupied.

A few minutes of preparation can save you a second trip.

• Bring the move-in record. The move-out inspection is most useful when you can compare it with the move-in record. If you don’t have a move-in record, do the move-out inspection anyway. A dated record of today is still better than none. For the starting record, see what to photograph before unpacking a rental, with a free photo kit you can share with incoming tenants.
• Go as soon as you have the unit back. The closer the inspection is to the day the tenant returned the keys, the easier it is to document the condition when the tenant returned possession.
• Keep the power and water on. You can’t test a stove, a disposal, or a water heater in a unit with the utilities off.
• Check your lease and your state’s rules on notice and on whether the tenant can attend. Some states set specific requirements.
• Charge your phone. You’re going to take a lot of photos.

How to document each room

The checklist tells you what to look at. These four habits are what make the record useful later.

1. Walk the same route every time. Start at the front door and move through the unit in one direction. A consistent order is how you avoid skipping the hall closet.
2. Take a wide photo first, then close-ups. The wide shot shows which room and which wall. The close-up shows the problem. A close-up alone could be any wall in any unit.
3. Record the rooms that are fine, too. “Bedroom 2: good, no issues” with a photo is evidence. A blank is not.
4. Describe what you see, where, and how big. “Hole in drywall, about 3 inches, left of the closet door” is better than “wall damage.” Skip guesses about how it happened.

The room-by-room checklist

Entry and living areas

• Entry door, frame, locks, deadbolt, and weatherstripping
• Walls and ceilings: holes, stains, marks, unapproved paint colors
• Flooring: stains, burns, tears, scratches, loose or cracked tile
• Windows, screens, locks, and window coverings
• Light fixtures, switches, outlets, and ceiling fans
• Closets: doors, shelves, and rods
• Anything left behind: furniture, trash, personal items

Kitchen

• Refrigerator and freezer: clean, cold, shelves and drawers intact
• Range and oven: test the burners and oven; check the interior, drip pans, and hood filter.
• Dishwasher, microwave, and disposal: run each one
• Sink and faucet: water pressure, drainage, and leaks in the cabinet underneath
• Countertops: chips, burns, and stains
• Cabinets and drawers: hinges, pulls, and the insides
• Floor, especially along the appliances and under the sink

Bathrooms

• Toilet: flushes, doesn’t run, solid at the base, seat intact
• Tub and shower: finish, caulk, drain speed, and showerhead
• Sink, faucet, and the cabinet underneath for leaks or water damage
• Exhaust fan runs
• Mirror, medicine cabinet, towel bars, and paper holder
• Walls, ceiling, and floor for moisture damage or mildew

Bedrooms

• Walls and ceilings, including behind where furniture stood
• Flooring, especially where a bed or dresser sat
• Doors, door stops, and hardware
• Windows, screens, locks, and window coverings
• Closet doors, tracks, shelves, and rods
• Light fixtures, switches, and outlets

Laundry, utility, and mechanical

• Washer and dryer, if they’re yours: run a short cycle, check hoses and the lint trap
• Water heater: leaks or corrosion at the base
• Heating and cooling: check operation when conditions allow, and inspect the filter.
• Thermostat works and is intact
• Electrical panel: accessible, no tripped breakers

Exterior, garage, and yard

• Exterior doors, storm doors, and screens
• Porch, patio, balcony, and railings
• Garage door and opener, garage floor
• Lawn, beds, and fencing, if the tenant was responsible for them
• Trash, debris, or anything stored outside
• Mailbox

Keys and safety devices

• Every key you issued: unit, mailbox, garage, storage, and common areas
• Garage remotes, gate fobs, and parking passes
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: present and working when tested

Compare it to the move-in record

A move-out inspection on its own shows the condition today. Put next to the move-in inspection, it shows what changed. Go room by room and look at the two records side by side. If the kitchen counter had a chip at move-in, it isn’t a deduction now. If it didn’t, you have both photos to show it.

FieldSeen lets you open two completed inspections of the same unit side by side, with each room’s condition, notes, and photos together. It doesn’t detect changes for you. You can build your own checklist for each inspection type, and the tenant can sign to confirm they received the report. That signature doesn’t mean they agree with every item. You can look at a sample report to see the finished record. It’s an organized record, not legal advice.

Normal wear and tear vs. damage

For illustrated comparisons and a worksheet to review the evidence, see our normal wear and tear vs. damage guide for landlords.

This is where most deposit disagreements start. The general idea is the same almost everywhere: a unit ages from being lived in, and that aging isn’t the tenant’s bill. Damage from carelessness, accidents, or abuse is different.

Texas spells it out in statute. Normal wear and tear is “deterioration that results from the intended use of a dwelling.” It doesn’t cover deterioration caused by negligence, carelessness, accident, or abuse. (Texas State Law Library, citing Property Code § 92.001(4))

As a rough guide, here’s how those lines are commonly drawn:

Your lease and your state’s law decide the real answer, and the age of the item matters. Whatever you conclude, the photo and the note are what let you explain it.

After the inspection: the deposit clock

Every state sets its own rules for returning a security deposit and explaining deductions. Two examples:

• Oklahoma. Deductions for damages have to be itemized in a written statement, delivered by mail with return receipt requested or in person. The balance is due within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the tenant delivers possession, and the tenant makes a written demand. (Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115)
• Texas. The deposit is due on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises, once the tenant has given you a forwarding address in writing. If you keep any of it, you generally owe the tenant a written description and itemized list of the deductions. You can’t keep any of it for normal wear and tear. (Texas State Law Library, Property Code §§ 92.103, 92.104, and 92.107)

Those are summaries, not legal advice, and other states differ. Read your state’s statute or talk to an attorney before you send a deduction letter. The practical point is the same everywhere: an itemized list is much easier to write, and to stand behind, when every line on it points to a dated photo and a note from the inspection.

Whatever you use, a clipboard or an app, the habit matters more than the tool: same route, every room, wide photo then close-up, and notes written while you’re standing there.