Move-In Inspection Photo Checklist
A room-by-room checklist for landlords and property managers that makes sure every surface, fixture, and appliance is photographed, rated, and signed off before the tenant moves a single box in.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
The move-in inspection is the baseline every later deposit decision depends on, and the most common failure is not bad photos but missing ones. Nobody remembers to shoot inside the oven or under the bathroom sink when they are moving fast, and those are exactly the spots that come up at move-out. This checklist follows the same fixed sequence recommended in our complete guide at /guide/: entry first, then each room in order, and inside each room the door, walls, ceiling, floor, windows, electrical, fixtures, and appliances.
Print one copy per unit or keep it open on your phone, and tick each line as you go. Use the same four ratings every time (new, good, fair, poor) and write notes a stranger could follow. When you are done, the signed report and its photos become the move-in half of the comparison you will do at the end of the lease. If you want to know how much time this adds up to across your portfolio, the Move-In Inspection Workload Planner at /tools/inspection-workload-planner/ will size it for you.
- Confirm make-ready work is finished and the unit is completely empty before scheduling the walkthrough
- Offer the tenant a joint walkthrough in writing and record the date, start time, and everyone who attended
- Bring the blank room-by-room report, the unit and lease reference, and a charged phone with free storage
- Turn on every light, open all blinds, and run faucets and appliances so conditions are consistent in every photo
- Take a wide establishing shot from the doorway of every room, hallway, and closet before any close-ups
- Photograph each wall, the ceiling, and the floor of every room as separate shots
- Photograph every door, frame, lock, and piece of hardware, and confirm each door closes and latches
- Photograph every window, screen, lock, and blind or covering from inside, and test that windows open and lock
- Photograph light fixtures, switches, outlets, thermostat, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and test each one
- Rate every item new, good, fair, or poor using the definitions printed on the report, never a blank or a question mark
- Write a location-specific note for anything not in good order: what it is, where it is, and how large it is
- Place a coin or tape measure in detail shots of any chip, scratch, stain, or hole whose size could be disputed later
- Photograph inside the oven, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, and microwave, and note whether each one runs
- Open and photograph every cabinet and drawer, and check under each sink for staining, soft wood, or active leaks
- Photograph tub, shower, tile, grout, caulk, toilet, vanity, and exhaust fan, and run the fan and the shower briefly
- Photograph carpet in every room with extra attention to traffic paths, seams, stains, and edges near doorways
- Photograph hard flooring for scratches, gouges, loose boards, cracked tiles, and gaps at transitions
- Photograph the entry, balcony or patio, storage area, garage or assigned parking, and mailbox
- Photograph each utility meter with the reading clearly legible and note the date next to it on the report
- Count and photograph every key, fob, remote, and parking pass handed over, and write the counts on the report
- Review each noted issue with the tenant on the spot and invite them to add their own observations in writing
- Have both parties sign and date the report, then give the tenant a copy with the photos or a link within the window your state requires
- Store the original report and untouched photo files in two separate places, tagged by unit and inspection date
- Turn anything rated poor into a work order so it is fixed promptly and cannot be confused with tenant damage later
https://moveinsnap.com/templates/move-in-inspection-photo-checklist/Use it in your business, share it with your team, or link to it from your own site.
Also from MoveInSnap
- Move-In vs Move-Out Condition Comparison Worksheet: A side-by-side worksheet for lining up move-in and move-out condition item by item, deciding what is normal wear and what is chargeable damage, and building the itemized deposit statement from the result.
- Free calculators