Move-In vs Move-Out Condition Comparison Worksheet

Deposit disputes rarely turn on whether a mark exists. They turn on whether it was there at move-in, whether it counts as normal wear, and whether the charge is proportionate. This worksheet forces those three questions to be answered one item at a time, with the move-in and move-out evidence sitting next to each other. Fill in one row per room-and-item pair using the same order as your inspection reports, and reference the photo number from each report so anyone reviewing the sheet can find the picture in seconds. Our article on comparing move-in and move-out photos at /blog/compare-move-in-move-out/ walks through the method in detail.

The last two columns separate the raw repair cost from what you can fairly charge. Normal wear is the landlord's expense and gets a zero. Cleaning is usually charged at actual cost where your lease and state allow it. Damage to an item with a limited useful life is typically depreciated, so a tenant is charged for the value that was left rather than the price of a brand-new replacement. Use the Security Deposit Deduction Calculator at /tools/deposit-deduction-calculator/ to work out the depreciated figure for each damaged row before you write the itemized statement.