Mark each item Good, Fair or Damaged. It saves on your phone. Copy the dated report and email it to your landlord.
Items checked
0 / 0
Rooms done0/0
Good0
Fair(wear, small marks)0
Damaged(write what and where)0
Lease must-haves checked0/0
Deposit due back by(21 days)—
Copied. Paste it into an email to your landlord and attach your photos.
Mark only what you see today. Write damage like a witness: what, where, how big. “Kitchen counter, left of sink: 2-inch burn mark.”
Room by room
Tap a condition for each item. Add a note for anything not perfect.
What the lease should have
Tick each one you find in the lease or its attachments. Tap a line to see why. Many agents use the C.A.R. residential lease (form LR); any lease still needs these.
Checked0/0
Move-out dates
Based on your move-out date. Add the ones you need to Google Calendar.
Done0/0
Photos that hold up
Turn on the date and time stamp, or email the photos to yourself the same day so the email shows the date.
Walk through with one slow video. Say the date and the address out loud at the start.
Take a wide shot of each room, then close-ups of every mark. Put a coin or a key next to it for size.
Open the oven, fridge, dishwasher, cabinets and the space under sinks. Photograph meter readings and the keys you got.
Do the same thing again on move-out day, in the same order. Before and after side by side wins arguments.
You get a dated copy in your inbox. Ken can help if a deposit question comes up later. No spam.
Email opened. Hit Send and you're done. If it didn't open, text Ken the number below.
Or text:408-666-2825
Next steps
Many people get this wrong: “No move-in checklist, so I can’t fight deductions.” You can. Normal wear and tear can never come out of the deposit, and since April 1, 2025 the landlord must send photos with any repair or cleaning charge. Your own dated photos just make it fast.