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Category: Tools Topic: Templates Type: Guide

Renter Move-In Condition and Security Deposit Log Template

A signed move-in inspection and dated photographs help distinguish preexisting damage from tenant-caused damage when the tenancy ends.

Updated 4 min read Researched Testing not applicable

What to know

  • A signed move-in inspection and dated photographs help distinguish preexisting damage from tenant-caused damage when the tenancy ends.
  • Document the empty unit, submit the record promptly, preserve delivery proof, and repeat the same process at move-out.

Complete the condition record before or immediately after receiving possession.

Inspect jointly with the landlord or manager where possible.

HUD’s move-in and move-out inspection form explains that a signed condition record documents the unit and helps determine whether later security-deposit deductions involve tenant damage or preexisting conditions.

Lease and deposit information

Property:
Unit:
Tenant:
Landlord or manager:
Lease start:
Possession received:
Security deposit:
Other deposit:
Move-in fee:
Pet deposit:
Deposit account information where required:
Inspection deadline:
Repair contact:
Emergency maintenance:
Log last updated:

Preserve:

  • Signed lease
  • Addenda
  • Deposit receipt
  • Building rules
  • Move-in checklist
  • Advertised amenities
  • Parking assignment
  • Storage assignment

Local law controls deposit limits, return deadlines, inspection rights, and required notices.

Photograph before moving furniture in

Capture:

  1. Every wall
  2. Every floor
  3. Every ceiling
  4. Doors
  5. Windows
  6. Appliances
  7. Cabinets
  8. Plumbing fixtures
  9. Utility meters
  10. Existing damage

Use wide and close views.

Include a ruler or familiar object beside small damage when scale matters.

Photographs are useful evidence in deposit disputes. The same documentation principle is broadly practical, though legal rules vary by jurisdiction.

Preserve original files

Keep photographs with:

  • Original date metadata
  • Descriptive filenames
  • Room assignment
  • Backup copy

Example:

2026-08-04_Kitchen_Sink-Cabinet_Water-Stain_01.jpg

Do not rely only on images uploaded to a maintenance portal that may later become inaccessible.

Room-by-room table

| Room | Surface or item | Condition | Damage | Photo | Repair requested | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Living room | Floor | | | | | | Kitchen | Counter | | | | | | Bedroom | Window | | | | | | Bathroom | Tub | | | | |

HUD inspection forms use room-by-room categories covering walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, lighting, outlets, appliances, cabinets, and plumbing.

Use neutral descriptions:

Three-inch scratch in floor beside east wall

rather than:

Floor looks bad.

Safety and habitability review

Record the condition of:

  • Smoke alarms
  • Carbon monoxide alarms
  • Locks
  • Exterior doors
  • Windows
  • Stairs
  • Handrails
  • Heating
  • Hot water
  • Electrical outlets
  • Visible leaks
  • Mold-like growth
  • Pest evidence
  • Emergency exits

HUD housing-quality inspection materials treat these as meaningful safety and habitability categories.

Do not test electrical, gas, fire, or structural systems beyond ordinary safe user controls.

Report hazards immediately.

Appliance record

| Appliance | Manufacturer | Model | Serial | Condition | Test result | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Refrigerator | | | | | | | Range | | | | | | | Dishwasher | | | | | | | Washer | | | | | |

Photograph:

  • Interior
  • Exterior
  • Existing dents
  • Shelves and racks
  • Model label
  • Missing parts

Do not sign that an appliance works when it has not been tested through an ordinary cycle.

Keys and access devices

Record:

  • Unit keys
  • Mailbox keys
  • Building fobs
  • Garage remotes
  • Parking permits
  • Storage keys
  • Amenity cards

Include the count received.

Do not place access codes or full key photographs in an unsecured shared record.

Utility readings

At possession, photograph and record:

  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • Water
  • Heating-oil level where relevant

Include:

  • Meter number
  • Reading
  • Date
  • Time

This helps separate prior occupancy usage from the new tenancy.

Do not open or alter utility-owned equipment.

Repair request log

| Date | Problem | Method reported | Recipient | Case number | Promise | Completed | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | |

Report important defects in writing.

Attach:

  • Photograph
  • Exact location
  • Safety impact
  • Access availability
  • Requested response

A completed maintenance repair does not erase evidence that the condition existed at move-in.

Preserve both before and after photographs.

Obtain acknowledgment

Send the completed record through a method that provides evidence of delivery.

Possible routes:

  • Signed joint inspection
  • Email
  • Tenant portal
  • Certified mail
  • Hand delivery with receipt

Ask the landlord to:

  • Sign
  • Correct disputed entries
  • Confirm receipt
  • Provide a copy

HUD recommends inspections before move-in and move-out, ideally with both parties present.

Do not delay submission while waiting for every repair to be completed.

Move-out comparison

At move-out:

  1. Use the same room order.
  2. Photograph the same angles.
  3. Record repairs completed during tenancy.
  4. Distinguish ordinary wear from specific damage.
  5. Return all keys and obtain a receipt.
  6. Record the forwarding address.
  7. Preserve the final utility readings.
  8. Attend the inspection where local law or lease permits.

Some jurisdictions provide specific pre-move-out inspection or itemization rights. Verify the law where the property is located rather than importing another state’s rules from a search result.

Security-deposit ledger

| Date | Transaction | Amount | Document | Balance | |---|---|---:|---|---:| | Move-in deposit | | | | | | Authorized deduction | | | | | | Refund | | | | |

Preserve:

  • Deposit receipt
  • Deduction itemization
  • Invoices
  • Photographs
  • Refund check
  • Delivery envelope
  • Communication

Do not cash a disputed payment without understanding whether local law treats it as final settlement.

Minimal spreadsheet header

Room | Item | Move-In Condition | Photo | Repair Request | Repair Completed | Move-Out Condition | Deduction | Disputed

Bottom line

Document the empty unit, submit the record promptly, preserve delivery proof, and repeat the same process at move-out.

A security-deposit dispute is much easier to evaluate when both sides have dated evidence rather than two competing memories of a wall that everyone stopped looking at once the couch arrived.

Sources reviewed

Limits and cautions

  • Testing not applicable
Sources reviewed

Source notes

  1. https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/52580.PDFhud.gov
  2. https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/HCV_Guidebook_Housing_Quality_Standards.pdfhud.gov

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