Move-Out Inspection Checklist, and What You Can Insist On
The checklist that decides your deposit is the one from move-in day. Three states make the inspection a right, and most guides never mention it.
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The checklist that decides your deposit is usually the one from the day you moved in, not the one you make on the way out. The move-out list exists to be held against it, which is what makes the move-in checklist the more valuable of the two. If there is nothing to hold it against, you are arguing from memory and the landlord is arguing from an invoice.
Most move-out checklists you will find are cleaning schedules. This one starts with the part that is actually enforceable.
Three states where the inspection is a right, not a courtesy
| State | What you can insist on |
|---|---|
| Washington | A written move-in checklist is a precondition to keeping any of the deposit. No checklist signed at the start means no deduction at the end, whatever the condition of the unit. Rev. Code Wash. § 59.18.260 |
| Arizona | You have a statutory right to be present when the landlord inspects after you leave. Ask in writing; being in the room changes what gets written down. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321 |
| California | You can require an inspection in the last two weeks of the tenancy, and the landlord must then give you an itemized list of what to fix to avoid deductions — in time to fix it. Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(f) |
Other states have rules of their own and this is not a complete list — check yours before assuming you have nothing to ask for. The pattern worth looking for is any requirement that the landlord document condition, because a documentation duty they skipped is a stronger argument than a disagreement about a carpet.
Ask for the walk-through in writing
Even where no statute requires one, ask. A landlord who walks the unit with you and says nothing about the hallway scuff has a harder time charging for it six weeks later, and the request itself is evidence you were willing to put things right.
One line is enough, sent with your notice: “I would like a move-out inspection before I leave. Please let me know a time in the last two weeks of the tenancy.” If they decline, that refusal is worth keeping too.
The checklist
Work against your move-in record, room by room, and photograph as you go. The point is not to pass an inspection; it is to be able to show what you handed back.
- Walls: nail holes filled, marks wiped. Photograph anything you cannot remove.
- Floors: vacuumed or mopped; photograph wear in traffic lanes rather than hiding it.
- Windows, sills, blinds, light fittings, switch plates.
- Every bulb working. A dead bulb is a line item on some statements.
- Oven, hob, extractor, fridge — emptied, defrosted, cleaned behind and underneath.
- Cupboards emptied and wiped inside.
- Limescale, grout, seals, plugholes.
- Anything you installed removed, and the fixing holes made good.
- Balcony, garage, storage locker, bin store.
- Filters: extractor, heating, air conditioning.
- Every key, fob, remote and garage opener — replacements are charged at a premium.
- Mail redirected; utilities closed with final readings photographed.
- Your move-in checklist, found and re-read.
- Written forwarding address, dated.
- Dated proof of the key handover.
- The inspection request and any reply.
Photographs that are worth something
- Take them after the unit is empty and clean, in daylight, not on the last frantic evening.
- Wide shot of each room first, then close-ups. A close-up of a mark proves nothing about where it is.
- Photograph the things nobody charges for as well — the gaps are what a landlord points at later.
- Keep the originals with their timestamps. A screenshot of a photo loses the date that made it useful.
If a charge turns up anyway, the sequence is the same every time: check whether the statement arrived on time, then check what they are allowed to deduct at all, then write.
After you hand back the keys
Your state’s clock starts, and in four of them it does not start until you have given a written forwarding address. Work out the date from your state’s rule, write it down, and if it passes with nothing from the landlord, send a demand letter.
This page explains general rules and is not legal advice. Inspection rights and documentation duties vary by state and by city.
What does your lease say you have to leave behind?
Upload it and get the move-out condition clause, the cleaning standard and anything listed as chargeable — quoted from your own document, before the inspection rather than after the invoice.
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