Move-In Inspection: Photograph Everything Before You Unpack
The deposit you get back at move-out is decided by the record you make at move-in. Here is how to document a rental properly in the first hour, and what to clean first.
- Document the rental's condition with dated photos, video and a written checklist before you bring in a single box, because furniture hides damage and makes it look like yours.
- Several states put the move-in record into law, including Washington, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Massachusetts, often with short deadlines for tenants to respond.
- Send your notes and photos to the landlord in writing and keep a copy, so the record is shared rather than private.
- Inspect first and clean second: photograph any dirt you find before you remove it, so a later claim about cleanliness can be checked against the start.
- Your move-in record is only half the story; the same rooms photographed the same way at move-out is what protects the deposit.
A move-in inspection is the record of what a rental looked like on the day you got the keys, and it is the single best protection for your security deposit. Before you unpack anything, walk through every room, photograph and video its condition, write down every flaw, and send that record to your landlord in writing. Then clean.
The order matters. Once furniture is in place and boxes are stacked, scuffs, carpet stains and cracked tiles become hard to see and harder to prove were there before you.
Why the move-in record decides the deposit
At move-out, a landlord can generally deduct for damage beyond normal wear and tear, and often for cleaning needed to bring the unit back to the condition it was in when you moved in. The phrase that matters is "when you moved in." If nobody wrote it down, the dispute becomes your memory against the landlord's, often months or years later.
A dated record changes that. A photo of a carpet stain taken on move-in day, sent by email to the landlord, makes it very difficult to charge you for it later. It also works the other way: if the unit was not clean when you arrived, your photos show the standard you were handed. Our guide to getting your deposit back covers the move-out side of the same process.
What state law says about move-in checklists
Many states leave the move-in record to the lease and to the tenant's own initiative. Some write it into law. A few examples, current as of October 2026:
| State | Rule | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Washington (RCW 59.18.260) | A landlord cannot collect a deposit unless a written checklist or statement describing the condition and cleanliness of, or existing damage to, the premises is provided to the tenant. | At the start of the tenancy |
| Georgia (O.C.G.A. 44-7-33) | Before taking a deposit, the landlord must give the tenant a list of existing damage, which both sign. A tenant who disagrees must say which items, in a signed written statement. | Before the deposit is collected |
| Virginia (Code 55.1-1214) | The landlord must give the tenant a written report itemizing damage. The report is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing. | Report within 5 days of occupancy; objections within 5 days of receipt |
| Michigan (MCL 554.608) | Where a deposit is required, the landlord gives the tenant two blank inventory checklists. The tenant records the condition and returns one copy. | 7 days after taking possession |
| Massachusetts (G.L. c.186, s.15B) | The landlord must provide a statement of the unit's condition. If the tenant does not return a corrected copy, a court may treat it as agreed. | Landlord within 10 days of the tenancy starting; tenant within 15 days |
Michigan's statute even prescribes the notice that must appear at the top of the checklist:
You should complete this checklist, noting the condition of the rental property, and return it to the landlord within 7 days after obtaining possession of the rental unit.
Notice how short these windows are. In Virginia, a report you do not answer within five days is treated as correct. Laws change and cities can add their own rules, so check your state's current statute or a local tenant resource, and read your lease for any inspection clause. For state specifics, see our guides to Washington and Georgia tenant move-out rights.
How to photograph a rental properly
Good evidence is boring, systematic and dated. Aim for coverage, not artistry.
- Start with a walkthrough video. Walk slowly through every room in order, narrating the date and what you see. One continuous file is hard to dispute.
- Take wide shots of each room from the doorway, then from the opposite corner, so every wall and the full floor are visible.
- Take close-ups of every flaw: stains, scratches, chips, holes, burns, cracked tiles, broken blinds and water marks. Put a coin or a tape measure in the frame for scale.
- Open things. Photograph inside the oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, cabinets, drawers, closets and the vanity, because these are where move-out cleaning charges usually start.
- Test things and record the result: every light, faucet, burner, the dishwasher, the HVAC system, windows that open and doors that lock.
- Keep the original files. Their embedded date and time data matter, so back them up to cloud storage and avoid editing or re-saving them.
The written checklist
Photos show; a move-in checklist explains. If your landlord provides a form, use it. If not, make your own with one line per item in each room: walls, ceiling, floor or carpet, windows and screens, blinds, doors, closets, lights and switches, outlets, and in kitchens and bathrooms each appliance and fixture.
For each line, write a condition word (good, fair, poor) and a specific note: "Bedroom 2 carpet: brown stain about 3 inches, near closet door," not "some stains." Then:
- Sign and date it, and ask the landlord or property manager to sign too.
- Email it with the photos and video link, so there is a timestamped copy on both sides.
- Ask in writing for anything that needs repair, and keep the reply.
- Store everything with your lease until the deposit is returned in full.
Inspect first, then clean
It is tempting to start scrubbing the moment you arrive. Resist for an hour. If the oven is greasy or the bathroom is grimy, photograph it first. That record answers a later claim that you left the unit dirtier than you found it, and it gives you grounds to ask the landlord to have it cleaned before you move in.
Once the record is done, clean in this order:
| Order | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchen cabinets, drawers and refrigerator | Your food and dishes go in first |
| 2 | Bathroom you will use | Toilet, shower and sink disinfected before first use |
| 3 | Closets and bedroom | Clothes and bedding go in early |
| 4 | Remaining rooms and floors | Floors last, before furniture covers them |
Our full guide to cleaning before boxes arrive has the room-by-room detail.
Common mistakes that cost renters money
- Waiting until after unpacking. A couch hides a carpet burn, and once it is noticed months later, the date is lost.
- Missing the statutory deadline, where your state has one, so the landlord's version becomes the official one.
- Keeping photos only on your phone, with no copy sent to the landlord.
- Vague notes such as "minor wear," which can mean anything at move-out.
- Skipping inside appliances and cabinets, the very places that are inspected most closely when you leave.
- Not photographing the unit again, the same way, on move-out day.
Use the same record at move-out
A move-in record earns its value on the day you leave. Keep the original checklist and photo folder somewhere you will find them in two or three years, not only on an old phone.
When you move out, repeat the process exactly. Walk the same route, take the same wide shots from the same doorways and photograph the same close-ups, so each pair of images can be compared side by side. Do it after the final clean, once the unit is empty, and send the set to the landlord with your forwarding address. If your state lets you request a move-out inspection, ask for one and attend it.
If a deduction appears later, the comparison usually settles it quickly. A stain that appears in both sets of photos was there before you. A spotless oven in the move-out photos answers a cleaning charge. Most disputes are not about bad faith; they are about two people remembering the same apartment differently, and a matched pair of records removes the guesswork. Our move-out cleaning checklist shows what to clean before those final photos.
When to hand it to a pro
The inspection is yours to do; nobody else can sign your checklist. The cleaning that follows is easier to hand off, especially if your photos show a unit that was not cleaned properly between tenants. A professional move-in cleaning covers cabinets, closets and bathrooms in an empty home, and inside appliances can be added. Across the 614 move-in and move-out cleans Hello Cleaners completed in 2026, the median total was $552.
If the unit needs it, take your photos first, then request a quote and share a few of them, so the price reflects the actual condition.
Frequently asked questions
When should I do a move-in inspection?
On the day you get the keys, before any furniture or boxes go in. Furniture hides damage, and the closer your record is to the start of the tenancy, the stronger it is.
Does my landlord have to give me a move-in checklist?
It depends on the state. Washington, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan and Massachusetts are among the states that require some form of written move-in condition record; elsewhere it may depend on the lease, so make your own if none is provided.
How long do I have to report existing damage?
Deadlines vary. Virginia gives tenants five days to object to the landlord's report, Michigan seven days to return the checklist and Massachusetts 15 days to return a corrected statement of condition.
Should I clean before or after the inspection?
After. Photograph any dirt or grease first, so the record shows how the unit was handed to you, then clean.
Are phone photos good enough evidence?
Usually, if they are clear, dated and complete. Keep the original files, back them up and email a set to your landlord so both sides have a timestamped copy.