Mr. Props Logo

Property Management Inspection Checklist Template

Walk a long-term rental with your tenant at move-in, mid-lease and move-out. Rate each item the same way every time, and the report lists what got worse by the time the keys come back.

  • Move-in and move-out ratings side by side
  • Counts what got worse, room by room
  • Excel checklist and Word report
Fill In the Report
Move-out: 37 of 37 rated
An example lease is filled in: made-up unit, tenants and readings. Rate each item on the sheet with G, F or P.
Unit and people
Inspection dates
Rooms
Bedrooms
2
Bathrooms
1
What the unit has
Meter readings
Keys and remotes
Tenant comments

Move-out inspection

Move-Out Condition Report

Maple Row Duplex, Unit B

Tenants: Jordan Lee and Avery LeeInspected by: Morgan EllisLease start: November 1, 2024Move-in inspection: October 31, 2024Move-out inspection: October 31, 2026
32Same or better
5Worse than move-in
5Rooms with a change
0Not compared yet
G Good: clean, works, no marksF Fair: works, visible wearP Poor: broken, stained or damagedRed row: worse than at move-in
ItemMove-inMove-out

Entry and living room6 items

  • Front door and locks
  • Walls and paint
  • Floor or carpetMove-in: Worn path from the door to the sofa, photo 4
  • Windows and screens
  • Blinds or curtains
  • Lights and outlets

Kitchen7 items · 1 worse

  • Cabinets and drawers
  • Countertops
  • Sink and faucet
  • Under the sink
  • Stove and oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Dishwasher

Bedroom 14 items · 1 worse

  • Walls and paint
  • Floor or carpet
  • Closet and doors
  • Windows and blinds

Bedroom 24 items · 1 worse

  • Walls and paint
  • Floor or carpet
  • Closet and doors
  • Windows and blinds

Bathroom5 items · 1 worse

  • Toilet
  • Tub, shower and caulkMove-in: Caulk yellowed at the corners, photo 17
  • Sink and vanity
  • Exhaust fan
  • Floor and walls

Laundry2 items

  • Washer
  • Dryer and vent

Yard or patio3 items

  • Lawn and plants
  • Fence and gate
  • Patio or deck

Garage or parking2 items · 1 worse

  • Garage door and opener
  • Floor and walls

Heating, water and safety4 items

  • Heating and thermostat
  • Water heater
  • Smoke alarmsMove-in: Tested together
  • Carbon monoxide alarm

Condition got worse (5)

Start the deposit discussion here. A lower rating is not a charge by itself: check your lease and state law on normal wear and tear.

  • Good → FairKitchen · Countertops (Knife marks beside the sink, photo 36)
  • Good → PoorBedroom 1 · Walls and paint (Two anchor holes above the desk, 1/4 in. each, photo 41)
  • Good → FairBedroom 2 · Floor or carpet (Faded strip under the window, photo 44)
  • Fair → PoorBathroom · Tub, shower and caulk (Caulk black along the back edge, about 2 ft, photo 52)
  • Good → FairGarage or parking · Floor and walls (Oil stain about 12 in. across, photo 58)

Meter readings

MeterMove-inMove-out
Electric48,215 kWh57,902 kWh
Gas1,204 ccf1,876 ccf
Water33,110 gal41,905 gal

Keys and remotes

ItemHanded overReturned
Door keys22
Mailbox keys11
Remotes or fobs10
Total43

Not returned: 1 (remotes or fobs: 1)

Tenant comments

The faded strip in bedroom 2 is from sun through the window. We would like to talk about the caulk before the statement.

Forwarding address: 88 Quarry Road, Apt 4

We walked through the unit together on the date above. Tenant comments are part of this report.

Tenant signature
Date
Manager signature
Date
Maple Row Duplex, Unit B · Move-out inspectionMade with Mr. Props
Three visits

One Lease, Three Walk-Throughs

This property management inspection checklist template follows one tenancy from the first key to the last. Every visit fills the same rows, so move-out ratings sit beside the ones signed at move-in.

Move-inPeriodicMove-out
WhenOn or before lease day, before furniture comes inMid-lease, before a renewal, or as often as the lease allowsAfter the tenant has moved out and cleaned
Who's thereYou and the tenant, togetherYou; the tenant can joinYou and the tenant, if they'll come
You recordRatings, notes, photo numbers, meter readings and keys handed overRatings for the items you check, plus needed repairsA second rating per item, readings, keys returned and a forwarding address
Signed byBoth of you; the tenant keeps a copyYou, and the tenant if presentBoth of you, or a note that the tenant declined
Gives youThe baseline every later visit is measured againstLeaks, pests and lease problems caught while they're smallThe list of items that got worse, where the deposit talk starts

Running short-term rentals too? Use our property inspection template for those: it checks a home between guest stays, while this one keeps one tenant's condition record from move-in to move-out. If you run both, a PMS such as Mr Props brings messages and calendars from Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo together in one place.

Ratings

Good, Fair or Poor: Agree on the Words First

A rental property inspection checklist is only as useful as the words behind its ratings. Two people rate the same carpet differently unless those words are pinned down, so print these on the report.

RatingWhat it meansWallsFloors and carpetAppliances and fixtures
G · GoodClean, works, nothing you'd point outEven paint, no marksNo stains, snags or loose boardsWorks on every setting, clean inside
F · FairWorks, with wear you can seeScuffs, small nail holes, faded patchesTraffic paths, light fading, a small stainWorks; worn knobs or light scratches
P · PoorBroken, stained, damaged or missingHoles, gouges, crayon, water stainsBurns, pet stains, tears, odorDoesn't work, cracked or missing parts

Leave it blank, not Good. Skip rows the unit doesn't have, so a missing dishwasher never reads as one in perfect shape. A drop from Good to Fair over two years may be ordinary wear: the rating shows where to look, not what to charge.

Scheduling

Before You Knock: Written Notice and a Short Kit

Put every visit in writing, even when the tenant has already said yes on the phone.

Washington's statute shows what a good notice holds: at least two days' written notice before entry, except in an emergency or where that's impracticable; entry only at reasonable times; the date and time, or a window with the earliest and latest times; and a phone number the tenant can call to object or reschedule (RCW 59.18.150). Other states set their own rules, so check yours and your lease first.

Pack for the walk-through

Notes and photos

Notes That Say What, Where and How Big

Your report may be read a year later by someone who never saw the unit. A useful note names the mark, places it, sizes it and points to a photo.

VagueNotes that start arguments

Living room

Carpet dirty

Kitchen

Stove not great

Bedroom 1

Wall damage

Bathroom

Caulk old

ClearNotes that settle them

Living room

Two dark stains, about 3 in. across, 2 ft inside the balcony door. Photos 12 and 13.

Kitchen

Front-left burner won't light; the other three work. Photo 27.

Bedroom 1

Two anchor holes above the desk, 1/4 in. each. Photo 41.

Bathroom

Caulk along the back edge of the tub is black for about 2 ft. Photo 52.

Number photos in the report, not only on your phone. Take a wide shot of each room from the doorway, then a close-up of every Fair or Poor item with a coin for scale, and type the photo number into the row.

Handover

Meters, Keys and Alarms: The Lines People Skip

Rooms get the attention, but these four lines are what people ask about after the keys come back.

Meter readings

Photograph each meter, date visible, at move-in and move-out, and copy the numbers into the report. If a final utility bill is questioned, they show where usage stood.

Keys and remotes

List every key, fob, remote and permit you hand over, with a count. At move-out the report subtracts what came back, so a missing remote shows up while the tenant is still there.

Smoke and CO alarms

Test them with the tenant watching at move-in. A Good rating next to a date records that they worked on day one.

Forwarding address

Ask for it before the tenant leaves and write it on the move-out report. It's where your deposit statement and any refund will go.

State rules

What Three States Say About Checklists, Wear and Deposits

Three examples from official sources, checked on November 4, 2026. They are not a summary of the law where you are: rules differ by state and sometimes by city, so read your lease and your state's law, or ask an attorney, before you keep any part of a deposit.

Washington

  • A landlord can't collect a deposit unless the rental agreement is in writing and the tenant gets a written checklist or statement at the start describing the unit's condition, cleanliness or existing damage, including walls, flooring, furniture and appliances.
  • Landlord and tenant both sign and date it, and the tenant gets a copy.
  • No deposit can be kept for wear from ordinary use, or for repairing items whose condition the checklist didn't reasonably document.
  • Within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant moves out, the landlord owes a full and specific statement of what's kept and why, with copies of estimates or invoices.

Source: RCW 59.18.260 and RCW 59.18.280, Washington State Legislature

California

  • A deposit can't pay for damage that was there at move-in, for unreasonable or unnecessary costs, or for ordinary wear and tear.
  • Once a tenant says they're moving, the landlord must tell them they can ask for an initial inspection. If they ask, it takes place within the two weeks before move-out, and the tenant has the right to be there.
  • Within 21 days after move-out, the landlord must send an itemized statement of deductions, unless they total less than $125, and return the rest.

Source: Know Your Rights as a California Tenant: Security Deposits, California Attorney General (Civil Code § 1950.5)

Texas

  • The landlord may not charge for normal wear and tear, only for actual abnormal damage.
  • The attorney general's example: carpet that wears because people walked on it for a year doesn't justify a charge for new carpet, while carpet that mildews because a water bed leaked may be charged.
  • A tenant must give a forwarding address to get the deposit back. The landlord returns it, minus deductions for damages, within 30 days, and itemizes any deductions with a description of the damage.

Source: Renter's Rights, Office of the Texas Attorney General

Not in one of these states? Look for a landlord-tenant guide on your state attorney general's or housing agency's website, and check the deposit and entry clauses in your lease.

After move-out

From the Worse List to the Deposit Statement

The report hands you a short list. These four steps turn it into a statement you can stand behind.

  1. Check the move-in column

    Anything Fair or Poor at move-in was there before the lease. Read the move-in note and set it aside first.

  2. Sort what's left

    Ordinary wear, damage or cleaning. Use your state's words and note one line of reasoning per item.

  3. Back each charge

    Get a bill or estimate for every repair. Washington requires copies with the statement; California requires the bill when someone else did the work.

  4. Send it on time

    Mail the statement and any refund to the forwarding address within your state's deadline: 21 days in California, 30 in Washington and Texas.

Examples

Three Tenancies, Start and Finish

Lines from three made-up reports: the earlier rating, the later one and the note that decided it.

Move-out

Ash Court, Unit 5

Two-year lease, two-bedroom apartment

  • Living room carpetFair → FairTraffic path described at move-in, photo 4; unchanged
  • Bedroom 1 wallsGood → PoorFour anchor holes behind the TV, photo 38
  • Kitchen countertopGood → FairLight knife marks by the sink, photo 35
  • Garage remote1 out · 0 backTenant mailed it back two days later

What it settled: The carpet came off the list at once because the move-in note described it. The wall holes went on the statement with a photo and an invoice.

Periodic

Linden Duplex, Unit A

Annual visit in month 11, tenant present

  • Under the kitchen sinkGood → PoorSlow drip at the trap, cabinet floor swelling; plumber booked
  • Bathroom exhaust fanGood → FairRuns but rattles
  • Smoke alarmsGood → GoodTested with the tenant watching
  • Back gateGood → FairLatch sticks in wet weather

What it caught: A hidden leak, fixed before the cabinet floor gave way, and a renewal talk that started from a clean record.

Move-in

Harbor View Condo, 12B

Furnished one-bedroom, new 12-month lease

  • SofaFairWorn left arm, photo 9
  • Bedroom blindsPoorTwo slats broken; repair due by Nov 15
  • RefrigeratorGoodClean and cold, ice maker switched off
  • Smoke alarmGoodTested together; both initialed the row

What it set up: A tenant who knows the sofa arm is on record, and a dated promise about the blinds that both sides can check.

FAQ

Move-In and Move-Out Questions

Does the tenant have to be there for the inspection?

It's best when they are: a report you both signed is hard to dispute later. In California, the attorney general says a tenant has the right to be present at the initial inspection before move-out. If the tenant can't come, offer a second time in writing, then send a copy with a date for written comments.

How much notice do I give before a periodic inspection?

What your state and lease require. Washington, for example, requires at least two days' written notice before entry, except in an emergency or where that's impracticable (RCW 59.18.150). If the lease asks for more, give the longer notice.

What if the tenant won't sign the move-in report?

Write "tenant declined to sign" and the date on the signature line, give them a copy anyway, and keep any written comments with the report. If your state ties the deposit to a signed checklist, as Washington does, talk to an attorney before move-in day.

Can I charge for everything on the worse list?

No. The list shows where a rating dropped; it doesn't say why. Washington, California and Texas all bar deductions for ordinary or normal wear and tear, and California also bars charging for damage that was already there at move-in. Treat the list as the agenda for the conversation, not the bill.

How often should I do a periodic inspection?

The sources on this page don't set a number. Pick a schedule your lease allows, such as once a year or before each renewal, and send notice each time.

Which file should I use, Excel or Word?

The Excel file is the rental inspection checklist you keep for the whole tenancy, one row per item and a column per visit. The Word file is the report you print or send for signatures after each walk-through.

Can I reuse the report for the next tenant?

Start a new report for every lease, beginning from the last move-out ratings. Anything left Fair or Poor and not fixed is the new tenant's starting point and goes in their move-in column.

Keep going

Templates to Use Alongside the Report

Owner relations · DOCX

Change of Management Letter

Let owners, tenants and vendors know in writing when a property moves to a new manager.

View template Owner relations · XLSX + DOCX

Monthly Owner Report

Report inspection findings and repair costs to the owner each month.

View template Operations · DOCX

Maintenance Request Template

Book a vendor for each Poor rating before the next tenant arrives.

View template Operations · DOCX

Pet Policy Template

Settle pet rules in the lease before move-in, so pet damage has a clause to point to.

View template
Helvis Schmotex

Helvis Schmotex

Founder, Mr. Props · Short-term rental investor

Helvis has spent the better part of a decade buying and selling real estate, and now focuses on scaling his short-term rental portfolio. He joined forces with the property OG himself, Mr Props, to share what's actually working — the systems, numbers, and hard lessons — so other hosts can grow faster and with fewer headaches.

LinkedIn

Join hosts running smarter portfolios

Weekly tips on hybrid portfolios, off-season flips, and the unit economics most operators miss — from Helvis and our community, who run 100s of STRs + LTRs around the Globe.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. Unsubscribe anytime.