How to run a move-out inspection (with a checklist)

A good move-out inspection takes forty-five minutes and prevents weeks of argument. Here's a process you can use this month, whatever tools you run on.

Before the day

• Schedule it with the tenant present. An inspection the tenant attended is an inspection the tenant accepts.
• Bring the move-in report. You are not assessing the unit; you are comparing it. No baseline? Do the best you can this time — and never skip a move-in inspection again.
• Confirm the unit is actually empty. Furniture hides damage. Inspect after the last box leaves.

The walk: room by room

Work in the same order every time so nothing gets skipped:

Every room

• Walls and ceilings — cracks, holes, unauthorised paint, mould
• Floors — chips, burns, stains, missing tiles
• Windows — glass, latches, screens, curtain rails
• Doors — locks, keys returned, handles, frames
• Electrical — every switch, socket and bulb actually tried

Kitchen

• Sink, taps and drainage (run the water)
• Worktops and cabinet doors, hinges and shelves
• Cooker point / gas fittings

Bathrooms

• Toilet flush, cistern and seat
• Shower head, taps, drainage (run them)
• Tile grout and silicone, mirror and fittings

Outside / common

• Balcony rails and floor
• Meters — photograph the readings
• Parking spot, storage, mailbox key

The three photo rule

For each fault: one wide shot placing it in the room, one close-up, one with a reference for scale (a hand, a coin). Photos that can't be located in the unit convince nobody.

Scoring, then costing

Score each item against the baseline — unchanged, wear-and-tear, or damage. Only damage gets costed, and only with a receipt or a written quote. Present the whole package to the tenant: comparison, photos, arithmetic, refund.

Doing this in RentPlus

RentPlus inspections turn this whole article into software: reusable templates so every walk is identical, scored items with photos attached in the moment, automatic pairing against the move-in baseline, and findings that convert straight into maintenance jobs for the make-ready. The deposit decision cites the evidence — and the next tenant's move-in inspection is already scheduled.