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Rental Inspection Checklist: Every Area to Document at Move-In and Move-Out
Most tenants photograph the living room and call it done. Landlords claim bond for the things you missed. This checklist covers every area you need to document.
A rental inspection is not a formality. It is the foundation of your legal protection as a tenant. Every area you document at move-in is an area a landlord cannot falsely claim was damaged by you at move-out. Every area you miss is a potential dispute.
The areas landlords most commonly claim bond for are also the areas tenants most commonly forget to photograph: bathroom grout, window tracks, inside cupboards, behind appliances, and the underside of rangehood filters. This checklist covers all of them.
BondProof Tip
BondProof guides you through a structured inspection room by room. Every photo is timestamped and geolocated at capture. You cannot accidentally skip a room. At the end, you receive a PDF report covering your entire property.
Room-by-Room Inspection Checklist
🚪
Entry and Hallways
Front door - condition, locks, seals
Door handle and deadlock
Walls - marks, scuffs, paint condition
Flooring - scratches, stains, condition
Light fittings and switches
Skirting boards
Any built-in storage or coat hooks
🛋️
Living Room
All walls - marks, holes, paint
Carpet or flooring - stains, damage
Windows - glass condition, frames, tracks
Window coverings - blinds or curtains
Light fittings and power points
Skirting boards and cornices
Fireplace if present
Balcony or courtyard access door
🍳
Kitchen
Benchtops - chips, stains, burns
Cupboards - inside and outside
Oven - interior and exterior, trays
Cooktop - burners, glass, condition
Rangehood - underside filter, grease
Dishwasher - inside, door seal, filter
Sink - condition, taps, drainage
Splashback - cracks, stains
Flooring - condition, joins, grout
Behind and under fridge space
🛏️
Bedrooms (each one)
All walls - marks, holes, paint
Carpet or flooring condition
Windows - glass, frames, sills
Window coverings - blinds or curtains
Wardrobe - inside rails, shelves, doors
Light fittings
Skirting boards
Door - condition, handle, hinge
🚿
Bathroom
Tiles - grout condition, cracks, stains
Shower screen or curtain
Shower head and taps
Bath if present - enamel, plughole
Toilet - seat, cistern, bowl
Basin and taps
Mirror and cabinet
Exhaust fan condition
Flooring - grout, joins, condition
Sealant around bath and shower
Towel rails and toilet roll holder
🧺
Laundry
Trough - condition, taps, plughole
Washing machine space and connections
Dryer exhaust if applicable
Cupboard or storage condition
Flooring
Hot water system - visible condition
🏡
Outdoor Areas
Balcony or courtyard - surface condition
Garden - general state if your responsibility
Fencing - condition, gates
Garage or carport - doors, floor, walls
Letterbox
Clothesline
External taps
Air conditioning units if external
⚡
Fixtures and Systems
All light switches - working condition
Power points - covers, condition
Smoke alarms - present and visible
Air conditioning - filters, remote
Heating - visible condition
Security alarm panel if present
Intercom if applicable
TV aerial or data points
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How to Photograph Each Area Correctly
Take wide shots first, then close-ups
Start with a wide photo of the whole room, then move in for close-ups of any damage, marks, or areas of note. Wide shots establish context. Close-ups establish detail. You need both.
Photograph pre-existing damage clearly
If there is a mark on the wall, a stain on the carpet, or a chip in the benchtop, photograph it with something nearby for scale. Make sure it is in focus and clearly visible. A blurry photo of damage is almost useless as evidence.
Do not rely on the agent's photos
Some agents provide photos with the condition report. Do not rely on these. They are the landlord's record, not yours. Your timestamped photos taken through BondProof are your record.
Use the same angles at move-out
When you move out, photograph the same rooms from the same angles as your move-in photos. This creates a direct before and after comparison that is highly effective in any dispute.
What Happens If You Miss an Area
If you did not photograph an area at move-in and a landlord claims damage to that area at move-out, you are in a difficult position. You may know the damage was pre-existing, but without a photo, you cannot prove it.
This is why using a structured tool like BondProof - rather than photographing informally - matters. BondProof guides you through a room-by-room inspection and will not let you accidentally skip areas.
How many photos should I take at a rental inspection?
There is no minimum, but more is always better. Focus on covering every room with at least one wide shot and close-ups of any existing marks or damage. A thorough BondProof inspection typically produces 40 to 80 photos for an average apartment.
Should I photograph with my regular camera or use BondProof?
Your regular camera app will take photos, but they may not have embedded timestamps or geolocation. BondProof embeds the date, time, and GPS coordinates at capture, which makes the photos far more credible as evidence in a dispute.
Does the condition report from the agent protect me?
Only partially. The agent's condition report records general condition but rarely includes photos. Your own timestamped photos are a much stronger form of evidence, especially for specific damage items.
Do I need to inspect before or after signing the lease?
Ideally both - inspect before signing to note anything serious, and do a full photographic inspection before or immediately after moving your belongings in, before the property is in use.
Can I use BondProof for a New Zealand rental inspection?
Yes. BondProof is available for renters in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The inspection process and PDF report format work the same way regardless of location.
Create your evidence before the dispute starts.
10 minutes at move-in. A timestamped PDF report that holds up. Available now on Android.