Move-In Inspection Report for Rental Properties

What a move-in report should contain

A thorough move-in report goes beyond a simple checklist. It should include:

• Property address, date of inspection, and names of all parties present
• Room-by-room condition notes — walls, floors, ceilings, windows, doors
• Dated photographs of each room and any existing damage
• Appliance inventory with working status confirmed
• Meter readings (gas, electricity, water if applicable)
• Safety equipment present and tested (smoke alarms, CO detectors)
• Key inventory — number and type of keys provided
• Tenant sign-off confirming agreement with the recorded condition

Room-by-room breakdown

Each room should be assessed individually. For a detailed room-by-room guide, see Tenant Walkthrough Checklist.

Key areas to cover in each room: general cleanliness, paint condition, flooring wear, window operation, light fixtures, power points, and any fitted furniture or appliances. Note anything that falls below "good" condition — even minor issues — to prevent disputes later.

Tenant sign-off

The tenant should be given the opportunity to review the completed report and either confirm or challenge the recorded condition. This is one of the most commonly skipped steps, and one of the most important.

A signed report demonstrates that both parties agreed on the property's state at the start of the tenancy. Without it, any end-of-tenancy dispute becomes significantly harder to resolve. For more on this process, see How to Document Rental Property Condition.

Storage best practices

The value of a move-in report depends entirely on your ability to find and reference it later. This sounds obvious, but it is a surprisingly common failure point.

• Store digitally with cloud backup — not just on one device
• Organise by property address and inspection date
• Keep records for at least the duration of the tenancy plus one year
• Share a copy with the tenant at the time of completion

Ireland & UK considerations

In Ireland, the RTB recommends that landlords and tenants document the property condition at the start and end of each tenancy. Move-in reports are key evidence in deposit dispute cases adjudicated by the RTB.

In England and Wales, deposits must be protected in a government-backed scheme. These schemes rely heavily on documented evidence when resolving disputes — a detailed move-in report is the strongest tool available.

In Scotland, deposit protection is mandatory under the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations. Similar best practices apply.

Digital record benefits

Digital reports are timestamped, searchable, and can integrate photos directly into the record. They eliminate the risk of lost paperwork and make side-by-side comparison at move-out straightforward.

Many landlords now replace paper inspection checklists with a shared digital property record to reduce disputes and repeated questions. See how a digital property hub works.

Frequently asked questions