Since July 1, 2025, a California landlord needs photographs of the unit at the start of the tenancy to deduct anything from the deposit at the end of it, and a tenant needs the same photographs to keep pre-existing wear off the final bill. This checklist is the order to walk the unit in, what to photograph, what to write down and who signs. The full list is below; the printable PDF is at the end.
A checklist walked the same way on every unit is what turns photographs into a record.
General information about California law (AB 2801, Civil Code § 1950.5), not legal advice.
Every room, every element in it, with a photograph and a note on condition and cleanliness, plus the things that are not in a room: keys, meter readings, detectors, parking and storage. Walk the unit in the same order every time so nothing depends on memory.
Front door, frame, locks and deadbolt, peephole, doorbell, closet and interior doors, handles, hinges, door stops. Photograph each door open and closed.
In every room: paint condition, nail holes, scuffs, cracks, water stains, baseboards and trim, floor material and its wear, carpet stains, transitions. Wide shot, then close-ups.
Glass, frames, locks, screens, sills, blinds or curtains, and whether each window opens and closes. Note any condensation or damaged seal.
Counters, backsplash, cabinets inside and out, sink and faucet (water run), garbage disposal present, appliances present and their visible state, exhaust hood, floor.
Toilet, sink and faucet (water run), tub or shower, tile and grout, caulking, mirror, cabinet, exhaust fan present, towel bars, floor, visible mold or moisture signs.
Closets, shelving, rods, light fixtures, outlets and switch plates present, ceiling fans, any built-in furniture. Furnished unit: one line per piece of furniture.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors present, thermostat present, working locks on entry doors, heating and hot water present, stove and refrigerator for leases signed or renewed since January 1, 2026. Presence and appearance, not performance testing.
Every key, fob and remote with its count, opening electricity, gas and water readings photographed, the assigned parking spot and storage unit and their condition.
Balcony or patio, yard, fences, exterior doors, mailbox, the hallway and entrance as found. What is shared is documented too: a lot of later disputes start outside the unit.
A cleanliness level per room, because a landlord can only deduct the cleaning needed to bring the unit back to the level it had at move-in. Without a baseline, that level is an opinion.
Dated, tied to a room, and systematic: one wide shot per room, one close-up per defect, in the same order every time, on the empty and cleaned unit, then a continuous video walkthrough. The law asks for photographs of the condition at the start of the tenancy; the method is what makes them usable two years later.
Before the tenant moves in, when every wall and floor is visible. A photograph taken around boxes proves less.
Leave the date and time in the photo metadata, or visible in the frame. An undated photograph is a photograph of nothing in particular.
Stand in the doorway for a full view of the room, then photograph each mark, chip, stain, crack or missing item close enough to read it.
Entry, then clockwise around each room, then the items outside the rooms. Order is what lets two records be compared element by element.
One uncut video from the front door through every room, so nothing falls between two frames.
Give the tenant a copy of the photographs and the written checklist at move-in, and keep proof of delivery. AB 2801 expects the tenant to have them.
For each element, its condition and cleanliness in a few words, then the counts and readings a photograph cannot carry alone: keys, meters, detectors, furniture inventory. Then the date, the names, and the signatures.
The landlord or manager and the tenant, on the day of the key handover or just before, ideally after walking through together. A record produced and signed by a neutral third party is the one both sides can accept without arguing about who held the camera.
Your move-in photographs are the foundation of every deduction you may need to justify. Produce them the same way on every unit, sign them, deliver them, and file them for four years.
Sign what matches what you see, add in writing what the record missed, and keep your own dated photographs. Most leases give you a few days to report pre-existing defects: read yours and use that window.
Who writes the record decides what it is worth. A record neither side authored ends the argument instead of starting it.
The checklist is the method. The reasons are in California deposit law: what a move-in record is for, what AB 2801 requires, and where normal wear ends.
The ten categories, the photo method and the signature page, in one printable document. Leave your email and it is yours.
Primary texts and official guidance this guide is based on. Verify against them: the law changes, this page is general information, not legal advice.
Scoutmyplace produces independent move-in condition reports across Los Angeles: this checklist, walked by a trained scout, with timestamped photos and video, signed on site, delivered within 24 hours and kept on file for four years.