Move-out checklist for rental inspections: property manager guide

Picture this: Your residents move out and you welcome tenants into their new home. An hour after they arrive, they send you a text complaining that there’s a broken lightbulb in the bathroom, the bedroom is too humid, and the living room smells of cigarette smoke. 

Sending someone out to rectify the problem damages your residents’ trust and makes an already extensive turnover process take even longer. But this could’ve been prevented with a comprehensive moving-out checklist.

In this article, we offer a full guide of points to check over when your residents move out to maintain high standards of cleanliness and maintenance, and include tips from a property management expert. 

We also explore a solution that allows you to be more proactive in preventing property damage across your entire portfolio.

What is a move-out checklist?

A move-out checklist is a detailed document that allows you to evaluate the condition of a rental property when tenants end their lease. You can use it to check that each room meets an objective set of standards for cleanliness and maintenance. Then you can send it to new tenants for them to confirm they agree with your representation of the property’s condition.  

The checklist can be used to settle disputes about damage with tenants and it may be important in mediation or court.

Why is a move-out checklist important for property managers?

A  great move-out checklist helps you save time particularly when you’re training new staff. By creating an objective list of steps to follow, you can estimate how long it takes to turn over a unit more accurately. 

What’s more, as Ricki Vallana Bowden, a property manager at Elmington, says,  “You can minimize vacancy periods by quickly identifying repairs or cleaning that needs to be done before your next resident moving day.” 

A move-out checklist is designed to make sure tenants leave the property in the same condition as when they were unpacking. A reasonable level of wear and tear is to be expected, but a checklist can help you avoid issues like cigarette smoke and wall stains that affect property value and readiness.

With a co-signed checklist as part of your lease agreement, you can reduce the chance of your residents disagreeing with you about security deposit deductions. Then if you can’t come to an agreement, a checklist provides you with solid evidence of the property's condition, supporting your case in resolving disputes.  

23 items to include in your move-out checklist

Be sure to check these often overlooked items and areas as you move from room to room. 

Bedrooms

1. Inspect for remaining personal belongings
   Check all closets, drawers, and under the bed for any personal items left behind.

2. Evaluate cleanliness of floors and carpets
   Inspect hardwood or tile floors for cracks or holes and look for stains and burns in carpets.

3. Check walls and ceilings
   Look for scuffs, holes, and marks on the walls, as well as nails or pins for picture frames.

4. Inspect windows and doors
   Ensure all windows open and close properly. Check that all locks function. Look out for marks on door frames (these are common when the moving company carries furniture out).

5. Test electrical outlets and light fixtures
   Verify that all the electrical outlets are working. Make sure light fixtures are operational and replace any burnt-out, dim, or mismatching bulbs.

Bathrooms

6. Inspect the plumbing
   Flush toilets and run all sinks and tubs to make sure there are no clogs or leaks.

7. Check for remaining personal belongings
   Double-check the medicine cabinets, drawers, and shelves for toiletries like paper towels and hand soap.

8. Evaluate cleanliness of fixtures
   Make sure the toilet, sink, shower, and bathtub are clean and don’t have any marks or stains.

9. Check for mold and mildew
   Take a close look around the shower, bathtub, and sink for any discoloration or spots. Use Minut to provide ongoing mold-risk analysis.

10. Inspect tiles and grout
    Look for cracks or chips in the tiling. Ensure the grout between tiles is clean and in good condition.

11. Check mirrors and ventilation
    Make sure any mirrors are clean and not damaged. Check that the ventilation fans work properly to prevent moisture or odor buildup.

Kitchen

12. Inspect for remaining personal belongings
    Check all the cabinets and drawers for any items left behind by movers.‍
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13. Evaluate the oven
    Pull out shelves or guards inside the oven to check for burnt pieces of food that might be hidden. If there’s an extractor hood, remove the filter and make sure it isn’t full of greasy build-up.

12. Check countertops and sinks
    Make sure all the sinks will drain properly.

15. Inspect cabinets and drawers
    Check for any damage and wear. Make sure drawers slide in and out freely. 
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16. Test electrical outlets and light fixtures
    Test all the power outlets to make sure they work and supply the right wattage.

Living room

17. Inspect for remaining personal belongings
    Check behind the furniture and inside any shelves or drawers for personal items left during the moving process.
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18. Evaluate cleanliness of floors and carpets
    Check hardwood or tile floors for cracks or holes. Look for stains, damage, or burns on the carpets.
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19. Check walls and ceilings
    Look for scuffs, holes, and marks on the walls. Check for nails or pinholes from picture frames and holes from TV wall mounts.
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20.  Inspect windows and doors
    Ensure all windows open and close properly. Check door hinges and handles for functionality, and look out for marks on door frames.
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21. Test electrical outlets and light fixtures
    Verify that all electrical outlets are working and light fixtures are working.

Hallways and entryways

22. Check smoke detectors
    Check that all smoke detectors are in working order. Note that with Minut cigarette smoke detectors you get notifications to your phone about battery levels and tampering.
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23. Check boilers and HVAC units
    Use Minut to keep an eye on temperature and humidity with ease. 

How to format your move-out checklist

A well-formatted move-out checklist will speed up your inspection and provide a user-friendly framework to record any problems. Here’s an example of a simple table format for a bedroom inspection:

It’s also a good idea to integrate the following sections into your checklist:

Inventory

An inventory check is essential to properly evaluate the contents of a property at move-out. It should list every item that came with the rental and the condition of each of them at move-in.

Cleaning

To help tenants understand the condition the property needs to be left in, try to provide detailed cleaning instructions at move-in. Ensure your guidelines cover every area of the property and offer specific instructions for deep cleaning things like carpets or ovens. 

Best practices and mistakes to avoid

When you’re managing a large portfolio, small issues can escalate without you realizing it. Here are some best practices and common mistakes to avoid that happening:

Proven strategies

• Provide your residents with a copy of the checklist before they move out. This means they understand what’s expected of them and can help them get the property ready, saving you time in the long run.
• Offer to do a pre-move-out inspection to identify any issues that the renters can fix themselves before they move out.
• Take photos of everything in the apartment at move-in and move-out. As Ricki Vallana Bowden highlights, “You should use timestamps. There may be a time when you didn’t notice an issue at first, but later in the turn process, you discovered something that was dirty or broken.” 
• If the final inspection isn’t being carried out by a third party, it’s a good idea to offer the renter the opportunity to attend. This way you can discuss any issues and verify them at the time.
• Use the checklist as a communication tool. Renters are conscious of deposit deductions so providing it early ensures they can refer to it and come to you with any questions. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Having no detailed notes, photos, or email chains to refer back to can make disputes over deposit deductions more difficult to resolve.
• Rushing the inspection and not taking the time needed to be thorough can lead to missing issues. Equally, prematurely telling tenants they’ll get their full deposit back before you’ve officially signed off the move-out checklist can cause disputes later on,
• Applying different standards to different properties can lead to confusion and disputes. It also makes it difficult for you to conduct inspections. 

Proactively preventing property issues

A moving-out checklist is a great way to prove that damage has occurred to your property, but it doesn’t go very far in preventing that damage from occurring in the first place. 

Take cigarette smoke as an example. As Ricki describes, “ ‘It’s almost impossible to prove that a smell exists in an apartment during move-out. The resident may have cleaned all of their walls, replaced all of their blinds, and changed the air filter, but the lingering smoke smell still requires significant treatment.” 

Protect your real estate by using Minut, which comes with in-built cigarette detection as well as noise monitoring and occupancy monitoring. This constant but discreet monitoring means you can prevent issues from escalating before they impact your property or residents. 

How does it work? Minut scans for smoke, noise, occupancy, and changes in temperature then you and your residents get automatic notifications when something changes.