General information, not legal advice. This template is a starting point. Laws differ by state and city, so have a licensed attorney review your final document before you use it.
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The short version
- Give tenants the cleaning list when they give notice. A clean, empty home means fewer deductions.
- Inspect with the move-in checklist and photos beside you and compare item by item.
- Separate normal wear and tear from damage before pricing anything.
- The deposit statement deadline usually runs from move-out, so inspect quickly.
What a move-out checklist is
The move-out checklist closes the loop that the move-in checklist opened. Part 1 tells the tenant what to do before they leave. Part 2 is the landlord’s inspection record: each item’s condition at move-in next to its condition at move-out, whether any change is wear or damage, and what it will cost. That record feeds straight into the itemized deposit statement.
When to use it
Send Part 1 as soon as the tenant gives notice. Complete Part 2 at the final walkthrough, right after the tenant returns possession and before any turnover work starts.
How to use the checklist
- Send the tenant Part 1 with the move-out date and key return details.
- Offer a pre-move-out walkthrough where the law requires it or where it helps.
- At move-out, fill in Part 2 with the move-in checklist and photos beside you.
- Take new dated photos of every room.
- Mark each change as wear or damage and estimate charges.
- Record keys returned, meter readings and the forwarding address.
- Send the deposit statement within the state deadline.
What to record
- Condition at move-in and move-out for each item.
- Whether each change is normal wear or damage.
- An estimated charge for each damaged item.
- Cleaning needed and items left behind.
- Keys returned and meter readings.
Common mistakes
- Inspecting after cleaners have been in, which erases the evidence.
- Charging for normal wear and tear.
- Missing the deposit deadline while waiting for quotes.
- No new photos, which leaves only words to support a charge.
Move-outs in TenantLoop
A TenantLoop move-out inspection compares each item with the move-in record, showing what got worse, what is new and what was resolved, with photos on every item. Anything broken can become a work order, and the deposit sits in its own liability account until you settle it.
What is in the template
Two parts for the end of a tenancy: a cleaning and task list to give tenants before they leave, and a move-out inspection record that compares each room with move-in and notes charges.
- Part 1: Tenant move-out tasks
- Part 2: Move-out inspection
- Returned items
Read the whole move-out checklist template
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General template, not legal advice. Have an attorney in your state review before use.
Using this template. Have a local attorney check it.
Does the tenant have the right to attend the move-out inspection?
Some states give tenants the right to a pre-move-out inspection or to attend the final one. Even where it is not required, inviting the tenant reduces disputes.
What if the tenant refuses to sign?
Note the refusal on the form and rely on your photos. The signature confirms attendance, not agreement with every charge.
How soon after move-out should I inspect?
The same day or the next day, before any cleaners or contractors go in, so the condition you record is the condition the tenant left.