Move-in inspection form and checklist
A move-in inspection checklist for landlords and tenants: every room rated item by item, with photos wherever something is wrong, so the deposit talk at move-out starts from facts.
Property address
Date of this inspection
Living and dining areas
| Good | Needs cleaning | Damaged or not working | N/A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walls and ceiling | ||||
| Floor or carpet | ||||
| Doors and locks | ||||
| Windows, screens and blinds | ||||
| Lights and outlets |
Walls and ceiling
Floor or carpet
Doors and locks
Windows, screens and blinds
Lights and outlets
23 questions · about 15 min · logic · file upload · signature
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Print it as a PDF Word version
Change the questions in Word, then print.
What you get back
Every response lands in your results the moment it is sent. Turn on email notifications and each one arrives like this, and the same answers become a row in your spreadsheet.
From PulseFormCreator
Subject New response to Move-in inspection
- Property address
- 218 Maple Street, Apt 4B, Columbus OH 43215, United States
- Date of this inspection
- 19 Sep 2026
- Living and dining areas
- Walls and ceiling: Good; Floor or carpet: Needs cleaning; Doors and locks: Good; Windows, screens and blinds: Good; Lights and outlets: Good
- Kitchen
- Walls and ceiling: Good; Floor: Good; Cabinets and countertops: Damaged or not working; Sink and faucet: Good; Stove, oven and range hood: Needs cleaning; Refrigerator, if supplied: N/A; Dishwasher, if supplied: Good; Lights and outlets: Good
- Bathroom and toilet
- Walls, tiles and ceiling: Good; Floor: Good; Shower, tub and screen: Good; Toilet: Good; Sink, faucet, mirror and cabinet: Good; Exhaust fan and lights: Good
- Bedrooms
- Walls and ceiling: Good; Floor or carpet: Good; Closets and doors: Good; Windows, screens and blinds: Good; Lights and outlets: Good
and 9 more answers
| submitted_at | Property address | Date of this inspection | Living and dining areas | Photos: living and dining areas | Kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2026 09:41 | 218 Maple Street, Apt 4B, Columbus OH 43215, United States | 19 Sep 2026 | Walls and ceiling: Good | Floor or carpet: Needs cleaning | Doors and locks: Good | Windows, screens and blinds: Good | Lights and outlets: Good | Walls and ceiling: Good | Floor: Good | Cabinets and countertops: Damaged or not working | Sink and faucet: Good | Stove, oven and range hood: Needs cleaning | Refrigerator, if supplied: N/A | Dishwasher, if supplied: Good | Lights and outlets: Good |
Export to CSV or Excel, or send responses to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack or a webhook. All free.
What happens after someone submits
Set these up once in the Workflows tab, and every walk-through is on file the day it is signed.
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Submitted
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The report is saved
You get an email with a PDF of the whole report attached, ready for the lease file.
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The tenant gave an email Pro
They get a confirmation with a copy of their answers, so the tenant keeps a record too.
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Every report comes in
A new row lands in your Google Sheet, so each property’s move-in and move-out sit in one place.
What this form asks, and why
The last column shows how often real move-in inspection forms ask for it.
| Question | Why it is there | Real forms |
|---|---|---|
| Property address Required | On 10 of 12 forms. Include the unit number. | 10 of 12 forms |
| Date of this inspection Required | The day the condition was seen, which may not be the day the lease began. | 7 of 12 forms |
| Living and dining areas Required | Every form goes room by room, item by item: 12 of 12 forms. | 12 of 12 forms |
| Photos: living and dining areas Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | Appears once any item is not Good, under each room. | 5 of 12 forms |
| Kitchen Required | Appliances are on 12 of 12 forms; mark the fridge N/A when none is supplied. | 12 of 12 forms |
| Photos: kitchen Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | Close-ups of oven, cooktop or countertop damage. | Our own recommendation |
| Bathroom and toilet Required | The exhaust fan row is where damp shows; NSW’s form asks about mold and damp. | 12 of 12 forms |
| Photos: bathroom Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | Mold and cracked tiles show better than they describe. | Our own recommendation |
| Bedrooms Required | One grid for all bedrooms; the notes say which one. | 12 of 12 forms |
| Photos: bedrooms Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | One upload for every bedroom, up to ten photos. | Our own recommendation |
| Laundry, outside and parking Required | Laundry, yard, fences and parking in one grid. | 9 of 12 forms |
| Photos: laundry, outside and parking Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | Fence and yard damage is hard to prove later without one. | Our own recommendation |
| Safety and services Required | Smoke alarms are on 11 of 12 forms. | 11 of 12 forms |
| Photos: safety and services Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | A dead smoke alarm, caught on move-in day. | Our own recommendation |
| Keys, remotes and fobs handed over | A count, so nobody argues about the second garage remote later. | 5 of 12 forms |
| Describe everything that is not Good Required Only when a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working” | Size and place: what the move-out inspection compares. | 2 of 12 forms |
| Tenant name(s) Required | Everyone on the lease, in one box. | 9 of 12 forms |
| Tenant’s email, for their copy | Where the tenant’s copy goes. Optional. | Our own recommendation |
| Landlord, agent or property manager | Who the tenant deals with, named on 6 of 12 forms. | 6 of 12 forms |
| Anything the tenant disagrees with or wants to add? | The tenant’s say, which 8 of 12 forms record. | 8 of 12 forms |
| Agreement Required | What both signatures mean: the record is accurate except where noted. | Our own recommendation |
| Tenant’s signature Required | On every form. | 12 of 12 forms |
| Landlord’s or agent’s signature | Optional, for when the tenant fills it in alone and returns it. | 12 of 12 forms |
What we left out
- A cost-to-correct column. 2 of 12 forms have one. Charges belong at move-out: the Move-out preset asks once, with amounts.
- Meter readings. Only the ACT form asks. Add a number question if you bill water or gas.
- “A blank means fine”. One US manager treats a blank item as agreement. Every item here needs an answer instead.
What 12 real move-in inspection forms ask
How many include each field, from forms organizations use today. Part of the Form Field Index.
- Appliances 12 of 12
- Bathroom items listed 12 of 12
- Bedroom items listed 12 of 12
- Room by room, item by item 12 of 12
- Heating, cooling or hot water 12 of 12
- Kitchen items listed 12 of 12
- Landlord’s or agent’s signature 12 of 12
- Living or lounge room items listed 12 of 12
Read September 2026 · US 7, Australia 5 · Sources
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development · federal housing agency (form for HUD multifamily owners, Handbook 4350.3 Appendix 5), US
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing · state agency (housing transition program attachment), US
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development · state housing agency (Section 811 program form), US
- Bay Property Management Group · property manager, US
- Arizona Metropolitan Realty & Management · property manager (Arizona Association of REALTORS form), US
- My Townhome (Charlotte, NC) · property manager (North Carolina Association of REALTORS Standard Form 415), US
- Griswold Real Estate Management · property manager (California Apartment Association form 16.0), US
- ACT Revenue Office · territory government (rental bonds), Australia
- Consumer Affairs Victoria · state regulator (prescribed form, Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021 r 18), Australia
- Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · state tenancy authority (prescribed Form 1a), Australia
- NSW Fair Trading · state regulator (Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, Schedule 2), Australia
- Consumer Protection WA (Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety) · state regulator (prescribed Form 1, Residential Tenancies Act 1987), Australia
How the form changes as people answer
Most people see a shorter form. These questions and screens only appear when an answer calls for them.
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When a row in any of 6 grids is marked “Needs cleaning” or “Damaged or not working”
shows “Photos: living and dining areas”, “Photos: kitchen”, “Photos: bathroom”, “Photos: bedrooms”, “Photos: laundry, outside and parking”, “Photos: safety and services” and “Describe everything that is not Good”
Make it yours
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Match your rooms
Duplicate the Bedrooms question for a second bathroom or a study, and rename it.
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Your agency filled in
Add ?agency=Harbor Property Management to the link and the landlord question fills itself in.
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Nothing lost halfway round
Save respondents’ progress on their device is on in Settings → Responses, so a long walk-through survives a closed tab.
Good practice and the law
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and state, so check anything important where you operate.
- Australia
In Victoria renters fill in, sign and date the report within 5 business days of moving in; a repair it lists is written notice to the rental provider. Consumer Affairs Victoria, condition report
- Australia
In NSW a condition report is needed whether or not a bond is paid, and photos do not replace written descriptions. NSW condition report, Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019
- US
In HUD-assisted housing the owner or agent and the tenant inspect the unit together at move-in and move-out. HUD Handbook 4350.3, Appendix 5
Questions about this template
Should the tenant or the landlord fill it in?
On the Victorian and NSW forms the landlord or agent fills it in first, then the tenant adds agreement or comments. Here you can do both together on one phone.
How does the tenant get a copy?
Add the “Email me a copy of my answers” button to the thank-you screen: it emails them a link, free.
How do I compare move-in with move-out?
Pick “Move-out” above the preview for the second visit. The room grids are identical, so each item’s rating sits side by side in the two exports.
How long should we keep the report?
Until the deposit is settled, at the least. Download the response as a PDF for the tenancy file, or export to CSV or Excel.
Which form do you need?
Not quite the job? One of these may fit, or browse all inspection, report and evaluation forms.
- tenant application form
Before the lease: screening the people who want to rent.
- rental repair request form
During the tenancy, when something breaks.
- roof inspection form
For a professional’s report on the roof alone.
Start with the move-in inspection form template
Open it in the editor and walk through the property with the tenant on one phone.
By Michael Hodge, founder of PulseFormCreator. Updated 22 Sep 2026.