Move-In / Move-Out Condition Report

"It was already like that" only works if you can prove it

Most deposit disputes come down to a single question: was the damage or wear already there when you moved in, or did it happen on your watch? Without a dated, room-by-room record made at the start of the tenancy — and another one at the end, in the same format — that question has no answer except whoever's more persuasive in writing. Landlords who inspect thoroughly at move-out and loosely (or not at all) at move-in have a structural advantage in that argument, unless you closed the gap yourself.

• Room-by-Room Condition Log — a consistent format used at both move-in and move-out
• Photo/Video Log — a place to reference exactly which images correspond to which room and date
• Existing Damage & Wear Notes — recorded at move-in so it can't later be attributed to you
• Signature Section — for you and, ideally, the landlord or agent to sign off on the record

Step by step

1. Download the report and complete it room by room on move-in day, before unpacking.
2. Photograph or video each room as you go, and note the file names or timestamps in the Photo/Video Log.
3. Record any existing damage or wear explicitly, however minor — this is what protects you at move-out.
4. Get the report signed if the landlord or agent is present, or send a copy by email the same day if not.
5. Repeat the exact same process at move-out, using a fresh copy, for a direct before-and-after comparison.

• Print-ready PDF version
• Room-by-Room Condition Log for move-in and move-out
• Photo/Video Log, Existing Damage & Wear Notes
• Signature Section
• Works on any device