Move-in walkthrough tips every renter should know

## Do the walkthrough before you sign anything

The single biggest mistake renters make is signing the lease first and doing the walkthrough later. By the time you notice the burn mark on the counter or the crack in the bathtub, it's yours. Insist on a walkthrough before you sign — or, at minimum, on move-in day, before you unpack a single box.

Most landlords will agree. The ones who won't are the ones you'll fight with about your deposit six months from now.

The 20-minute walkthrough script

You don't need a specialist. You need a phone, a checklist, and a slow pace. Give yourself twenty uninterrupted minutes and follow this script room by room.

### Every room, every time

• Photograph each wall corner to corner, at eye level
• Photograph the floor from two opposite corners
• Photograph the ceiling straight up
• Open and close every door and window
• Flip every light switch
• Photograph any existing damage close-up and in context (so the location is provable later)

### Kitchen

• Photograph the inside of every cabinet and drawer (grease, crumbs, missing shelves)
• Photograph the inside of the oven, microwave, dishwasher, and fridge
• Run the sink hot and cold, look under for leaks, photograph the drain
• Photograph the counters at a low angle so scratches show
• Test the garbage disposal if there is one

### Bathrooms

• Photograph the inside of the toilet bowl and tank lid
• Run the shower, tub, and sink, and photograph any slow drains
• Photograph the caulking around the tub and shower — this is where landlords love to charge for mildew "damage" you didn't cause
• Photograph the exhaust fan and confirm it works

### Bedrooms and closets

• Photograph inside every closet, including the top shelf and floor
• Test every outlet with a phone charger — a dead outlet you don't flag will be your problem later

### Exterior / patio / garage

• Photograph the porch, patio, garage floor, and any storage areas
• Photograph the garage door opener and confirm both remote and wall-button work

Get it in writing the same day

Photos alone won't save you if the landlord claims they were taken later. Two options that will:

• Email the photos to the landlord the day of move-in with a subject line like "Move-in condition photos — 123 Main St, Unit 4B, [date]." Email timestamps are evidence.
• Use a shared condition report signed by both parties. Fixly's Move-In Condition Report service sends a licensed independent pro to walk the unit, shoot standardized photos, and produce a PDF signed by both landlord and tenant.

The advantage of the third-party report is that it's neutral. Judges and mediators trust an independent report far more than a stack of tenant-only cell phone photos.

The things that will absolutely be disputed later

From the deposit disputes we see, four categories dominate:

1. Carpet condition — always photograph corners, seams, and any existing stains. If the carpet is old and worn on move-in, that is normal wear-and-tear and can't be deducted. 2. Wall paint and nail holes — photograph every wall. Small nail holes are usually normal wear; large anchor holes are not. Knowing which category each existing hole falls into on day one is what wins the case. 3. Appliance condition — photograph the inside and outside of every appliance. A landlord who tries to charge you for a scratched fridge door needs to prove the scratch wasn't there on move-in. 4. Bathroom caulking and grout — mildew that grows during your tenancy is on you; mildew that was already there is not. Take the close-up.

What to do if the landlord refuses a walkthrough

If they won't do a walkthrough with you, do it alone the moment you get keys. Then email them a link to the photos with a note: "Per our move-in on [date], attached is the condition of the unit at time of occupancy. Please let me know if you observe anything different." Silence in response is not agreement, but it is corroboration — and it lands in your email records with a timestamp.

Six months from now

The photos and the report you take today are the only thing standing between you and a deposit dispute. Take them like you'll need them, because you probably will.

If you want a professionally-shot, landlord-signed condition report you can hand to any court, book a Move-In Condition Report — a Fixly pro does the walkthrough with you and delivers a signed PDF the same day.