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Renting

What to write down when you move into a rental

A move-in record is a dated set of photographs of every room taken before anything is carried in, plus the meter readings and a written note of anything already marked, broken or missing — because at the end of a tenancy it is the only description anybody has of how the place started.

This page won't say what can be deducted at the end, or who pays for what. Deposit rules vary by state, and sometimes by city.

What it does say is what a move-in record needs to contain. That part doesn't vary — the argument at the end is always about the condition on day one, and either it was recorded or it wasn't.

Both directions

A landlord or agent keeps the same record from the other side, and for the same reason. Two dated sets of photographs taken on the same day rarely produce an argument at all; one set, or none, is what produces one.

Write it down

The things to note, in your own words, while they are still exact.

  1. 01

    The date you took possession

    Every photograph below is only worth what its date is worth. Note the day the keys changed hands, separately from the lease start.

  2. 02

    Every meter reading, on day one

    Gas, water, electric. Written down once at the start, it settles the first bill without anybody having to estimate.

  3. 03

    Anything already marked, broken or missing

    Room by room, in your own words. A photograph shows a mark; the note says you saw it on the first day and didn't cause it.

  4. 04

    What was reported, when, and to whom

    The date you raised something and who you raised it with. "I told them" is not checkable; "emailed the agent on the 4th" is.

  5. 05

    What came back, or that nothing did

    A reply matters, and so does silence. Record both the same way.

  6. 06

    Which keys, fobs and remotes you were given

    Count them at the start. The number handed over is the number that has to come back.

Save it while it exists

The things to capture before they are moved, cleaned, edited or deleted.

  1. 07

    A wide shot of every room from the doorway

    One frame per room showing the whole space, empty. This is the shot you will want to retake from the same spot when you leave.

  2. 08

    Every wall and floor, close up

    Marks, holes, scuffs, stains, worn carpet. Close-ups are what turn "it was already like that" into something checkable.

  3. 09

    Inside the appliances

    Open the oven, the fridge, the dishwasher and photograph inside. Cleanliness at the start is the thing most often disputed at the end.

  4. 10

    Windows, locks, taps and drains, working

    Show them opening, closing and running. A photograph of a closed window says nothing about whether it opens.

  5. 11

    The lease and any condition report you were handed

    Photograph or scan every page, including the ones nobody reads. Paper handed over at a rushed handover goes missing.

Related

Words that turn up here, explained

Prefer to do it on your phone? The same list, as an app.

Open Rental Move-In→

It saves to that device only, with no account and nothing sent anywhere. A new phone, a cleared browser or a lost handset loses everything in it. Export what matters and keep a copy somewhere else.

Reviewed September 12, 2026 · no statute cited · education on documenting, not legal advice