Move-In Checklist

What this document is

Move-in day decides how organized the whole tenancy will be, and it is exactly the day nobody has time for paperwork. A move-in checklist keeps the handover honest and complete: keys and access cards counted, electricity and water meters read and photographed, the deposit receipt issued, signed lease copies exchanged, and the condition record completed before furniture hides the floors.

Each ticked item is a small piece of evidence. The meter reading protects the tenant from paying the previous occupant's bill; the counted keys protect the landlord when the unit comes back; the dated photos anchor the deposit conversation a year in advance. Ten minutes of checklist on day one quietly prevents most of the standard end-of-tenancy arguments.

When to use it

• A tenant is collecting the keys and both sides want the handover documented in one pass.
• The unit has utility meters and the starting readings need fixing in writing before first use.
• The deposit is being paid on the same day and the receipt, lease, and handover should be wrapped up together.
• The landlord cannot attend personally and an agent is handling the handover on their behalf.
• You rent out units regularly and want every move-in to follow the same documented routine.

When not to use it

• As a replacement for the lease or the condition checklist — the move-in checklist coordinates them, it does not contain them.
• Commercial premises handovers, which usually involve fit-out conditions and different documentation.
• When the previous tenant has not fully moved out — finish the old handover first, or the records of the two tenancies blur together.

Information you will need

• Date and time of the handover and who was present
• Number of keys, access cards, and remotes handed over
• Electricity and water meter readings, with photos of the meters
• Confirmation the deposit was paid and a receipt issued
• Confirmation the lease was signed and each side holds a copy
• Reference to the completed property condition checklist
• Wi-Fi, building access, and emergency contact details shared
• Anything the landlord agreed to fix or provide, with a target date

Clauses included

How to sign it

Complete the checklist together at the property, ideally before the boxes are unloaded, and have both sides sign at the bottom. A photo of the signed page sent to both phones means neither copy can quietly go missing.

If an agent runs the handover, their name goes on the checklist and the landlord should receive a copy the same day. Anything promised verbally during the walkthrough — a repair, a cleaning, a replaced lock — belongs on the outstanding items list, not in memory.

Common mistakes

• Skipping meter photos, then spending the first month arguing over whose electricity the opening bill covers.
• Not counting keys and access cards, which become impossible to reconcile at move-out.
• Letting promised repairs stay verbal — undated promises quietly expire.
• Doing the handover after the furniture is in, when floors and walls can no longer be checked.
• Treating the checklist as done when only one side holds a copy.

Frequently asked questions