Move-out inspection checklist
The inspection is where the deposit statement is won or lost. Same lines as move-in, same order, both parties present, photographs on the same day.
Move-out inspection
Inspection lines
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Preview
MOVE-OUT INSPECTION Property : 1412 Ashgrove Ave, Unit 2 Tenant : Dana Whitfield Occupied : 15 June 2024 to 30 November 2026 Inspector: M. Reyes Tenant present: Yes Mark each line OK / WEAR / DAMAGE and note the estimate beside anything charged. 01. [ ] Entry — door, lock, threshold, light 02. [ ] Living room — walls, flooring, window sashes, blinds 03. [ ] Kitchen — cabinets, counters, sink, range, extractor filter 04. [ ] Refrigerator — shelves, seals, defrosted and clean 05. [ ] Bathroom — grout, caulk, fan, toilet seal, mirror 06. [ ] Bedroom 1 — walls, closet track, carpet or floor 07. [ ] Bedroom 2 — walls, closet track, carpet or floor 08. [ ] Windows — glazing, screens, latches 09. [ ] Smoke and CO alarms — present, sounded, batteries dated 10. [ ] HVAC — filter changed, vents clear 11. [ ] Water heater — no leak at the pan, temperature set 12. [ ] Exterior — porch, gutters at the unit, rubbish removed 13. [ ] Keys, fobs and remotes returned (count them) Notes: ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Tenant signature ____________________ Date __________ Landlord signature __________________ Date __________
Photograph every line marked DAMAGE, in the same order, on the same day. A checklist without dated photographs loses to a tenant with them.
It only works as a pair
A move-out checklist on its own proves the unit's condition on one day. Paired with an identical move-in checklist, it proves the *change* — which is the only thing a deduction can be based on. Print two copies at move-in, walk the same lines, and file them together.
No move-in record, no deduction
Without a signed move-in condition report, almost every damage deduction becomes your word against theirs, and the statutory presumptions in most states favour the tenant.
Walking it with the tenant present
- 01Offer the walkthrough in writing when notice is given.
- 02Walk in the order printed, marking OK, WEAR or DAMAGE — no other words.
- 03Photograph each DAMAGE line as you mark it, so the timestamps match the sheet.
- 04Note the estimate beside anything you intend to charge for.
- 05Sign, have the tenant sign, and hand them a copy at the door.
California gives the tenant a right to an initial inspection before move-out so they can fix what would otherwise be deducted (Civ. Code § 1950.5, checked 2026-09-04). Offering it is not a courtesy there; it is the statute.
From the sheet to the statement
Take the DAMAGE lines straight into the deduction calculator with their estimates, age each item before charging replacement cost, and post the statement inside your state's window. The distinctions that decide each line are in security deposit deductions.
Related in the binder
