Move-in Checklist Template

We prepare checklists to stay organized in our personal lives. However, we need them in our professional lives as well. A move-in checklist is useful for both tenants and landlords. When landlords rent out their furnished property for temporary use, it is natural for them to want to protect their belongings and for tenants to want to protect their rights.

What is a move-in checklist?

As the name suggests, this document is used just before a tenant moves in. After the agreement between the tenant and the landlord has been signed and both parties are ready to enter a business relationship, one of them prepares this document to help protect the landlord’s belongings.

The landlord collects a security deposit from the tenant, and if any damage is caused to the property or its contents, the landlord deducts the repair cost from the security deposit. The use of the checklist ensures that both parties involved with the rental property are on the same page and agree that the items listed in the checklist are present on the property and will be checked when the tenant decides to move out.

How do I use a move-in checklist?

There are numerous ways in which this is used. In some cases, the tenant moves in, and he is given one week to walk through and make a list of everything that belongs to the landlord. Then the tenant gives this to the landlord, and he also comes and confirms if all the things mentioned in the list are present and whether there are any other items. This way, the renter and the landlord both complete the list together and review every item present on the property. This brings them together on one page, and there are very few chances for a conflict to arise.

Here is an Excel template for help and guidance.

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What are the advantages of the move-in checklist?

This checklist is so important that once it is complete and has been reviewed by everyone, it is attached to the rental agreement and stays there as long as the contract remains intact. Here are a few benefits to using this document:

Documentation of the condition:

The checklist also keeps a record of the condition of the belongings present on the property. If the belongings are already damaged, the tenant can specify it in the list, and when he moves out, he will not be blamed for the damage if it has already been documented.

Similarly, items that are new need special care, and to make the tenant extra careful about using the brand new items, the checklist with the condition is shared with them. One of the biggest advantages of this checklist is that it records the damages.

It handles disputes related to security deposits

Security deposits from the occupants of the property are refundable, and the owner of the property is required to return them as soon as the tenant moves out. The owner of the property first makes sure that his property and all the items present in it are used carefully by the tenant, and he will not have to purchase anything again, which shows that there is no loss.

Since both parties are on the same page and everything is documented, there is no dispute at the end of the business relationship.

The tenant can apply for repairs

Since the condition of the contents is documented and paid attention to by both the tenant and the landlord, they both know which item is more worn out and needs to be repaired. In other words, the tenant can simply apply for the repair of the broken items. If the owner of the items is not in a position to repair them, the tenant does not take responsibility for the broken item.

The tenant becomes extra careful

When the occupant knows that the condition and names of items are listed and documented, they become extra careful and try to take better care of those items so that their condition does not deteriorate.

Excel Template: 215 KB