Move-In Inventory: Protect Your Deposit From Day One

Every deposit guide on this site comes back to one thing: the move-in inventory. It's five minutes of photos that decide thousands of dollars at handover. Here's how to do it properly, the day you collect the keys.

What a move-in inventory is

Why it matters so much

Reinstatement and deductions are judged against move-in condition. Without a dated record, handover becomes one person's word against another's — and the tenant usually loses. With one, the same dispute becomes a simple before-and-after comparison. It's the difference between fair wear and tear being assumed (your favour) or contested.

What to include — room by room

• Walls & ceilings — colour, any marks, cracks or existing holes.
• Flooring — scratches, stains, loose tiles, parquet condition.
• Doors, windows & locks — operation and any damage.
• Built-in carpentry — wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, feature walls.
• Fixtures & fittings — lights, switches, taps, sanitary ware.
• Provided appliances & furniture — make, condition, working order.
• Pre-existing damage — flag everything already there, so it can't be charged to you later.

How to do it right

1. Photograph everything, dated — wide shots of each room plus close-ups of any flaw.
2. Do it on handover day, before you move anything in.
3. Note flaws in writing alongside the photos.
4. Get both parties to acknowledge it — a mutually agreed record is the strongest.
5. Keep your own copy safely; don't rely only on the agent's.

Using it at move-out

At the end of the lease, the inventory is your benchmark: reinstate to that condition, then run a documented joint inspection against it. Anything that matches move-in is settled; anything genuinely new is make-good. That's how the deposit comes back in full.