Move-In Checklist: Document Everything Once

Deposit disputes are won or lost on move-in day, a year or two before anyone argues. An hour with a phone camera is the whole defense.

Before you sign

• Read the deposit clause: the amount, where the money is held, whether it earns interest, and how it is returned. Your state may cap the amount or require interest.
• Get every promise to repair or replace something before move-in into the lease or into a dated email.
• Confirm who pays which utilities and whether renters insurance is required.

Inspection day

• Walk every room with the landlord's move-in checklist, or make your own. Note every scuff, stain, chip, crack, and anything that does not work.
• Photograph and video each room with the date stamp on: walls, floors, ceilings, inside appliances, under sinks, windows and blinds, and carpet edges.
• Test every appliance, outlet, faucet, toilet, lock, window latch, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm.
• Photograph the meter readings on the day you take possession.

The first week

• Email the signed inspection report and a summary of defects to the landlord. Keep the reply; silence is also evidence.
• Store the photos and video in cloud storage under a dated folder. They win disputes two years later.
• Set a calendar reminder for 60 days before the lease ends to re-read the notice and move-out requirements.

The inspection protects your deposit. The lease decides everything else: analyze your lease before you sign.