Free Arizona Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
A room-by-room condition checklist for documenting an Arizona rental at the start and end of the tenancy. It is the evidence that protects the security deposit under Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321 — where the landlord has 14 business days to return or itemize. Fill it out and download a signable multi-page PDF.
An Arizona move-in / move-out inspection checklist is a written, room-by-room record of the rental unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy and again at the end. It is the single most important document in any security-deposit dispute: paired with date-stamped photos, it distinguishes deductible tenant damage from non-deductible ordinary wear and tear. Under Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321, an Arizona landlord has 14 business days (fourteen days excluding weekends and legal holidays) after the tenant returns possession to send an itemized list of deductions and refund any balance, and the deposit itself is capped at one and one-half month’s rent. Fill in the form below to generate a printable, signable checklist you can use for the move-in walkthrough and again at move-out.
Arizona Deposit & Checklist at a Glance
Governing Statute
A.R.S. §33-1321
Return / Itemize
14 Business Days
Deposit Cap
1.5 Months’ Rent
Keep Records
4 Years Min
Wear-and-Tear vs. Damage — the Distinction This Checklist Proves
Ordinary wear and tear is NOT chargeable against the deposit in Arizona. Faded paint, minor carpet wear in walking paths, small scuff marks near door knobs, and small nail holes are typically wear and tear. Damage beyond ordinary use IS chargeable: large holes in walls, carpet stains or burns, broken fixtures, pet urine damage, smoke damage, missing items, and unauthorized alterations. Recording condition at both move-in and move-out, with photos, is what makes the distinction provable.
How to Use the Arizona Move-In / Move-Out Checklist
1. Walk the unit together at move-in
Before the tenant takes possession, walk every room together, rate each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A, and note every existing defect. This baseline is what proves a condition was pre-existing and not tenant-caused.
2. Photograph every room and defect
Take date-stamped photos of each room and every Poor-rated item. Photos without written notes are weak, and notes without photos are weak; together they are the strongest evidence in a deposit dispute.
3. Both parties sign and keep a copy
Have the landlord and tenant sign the completed move-in checklist and each retain a copy. A signed, two-party record carries far more weight than a checklist one side filled out alone.
4. Honour the move-out inspection right
A.R.S. §33-1321(C) requires the landlord to give the tenant, at move-in, written notification that the tenant may be present at the move-out inspection, and on the tenant’s request to notify the tenant when that inspection will occur. That right — being present at the move-out inspection — is the statutory one. An earlier interim walk-through with an itemized deficiency list and a chance to cure before vacating is a California requirement, not an Arizona one; offering it is good practice but it is a courtesy here.
5. Repeat the walk-through at move-out
Using the same checklist, rate and photograph every item again after the tenant returns the keys. Compare against the move-in record to separate ordinary wear and tear from chargeable damage.
6. Return or itemize within 14 business days
Under Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321, within fourteen days excluding weekends and legal holidays after the tenancy ends and possession is returned, provide an itemized list of deductions and refund any balance due.
Build Your Arizona Checklist
Complete the fields below to generate a room-by-room Arizona move-in / move-out inspection checklist as a multi-page PDF. Use the same form for the move-in walkthrough (establishes baseline condition) and the move-out walkthrough (documents condition at the end of tenancy). Conduct both with the tenant present whenever possible, and pair both with date-stamped photographs. If you are also placing a new renter, start with a thorough move-in condition report and a documented move-out inspection.
1. Parties & Tenancy
2. Property
3. Room-by-Room Condition
For each item select Good (no defects), Fair (minor wear), Poor (visible damage), or N/A (not present). Describe every Poor-rated item in the notes below and photograph it.
4. Photo Documentation
Date-stamped photos are the second pillar of any defensible deposit claim. Photograph each room AND each Poor-rated item. Retain photos for at least four years in a dated cloud backup.
5. Signatures
Both parties should sign and retain a copy. Tenant signature acknowledges the accuracy of the inspection findings (it is not a waiver of legal rights).
Why the Arizona Move-In / Move-Out Checklist Matters
The Arizona move-in / move-out inspection process is anchored to Ariz. Rev. Stat. §33-1321, which governs security deposits and the return of possession at the end of a tenancy. The written checklist is the documentary spine of that process. It establishes the baseline condition at move-in, creates a contemporaneous record at each later inspection, and supplies the evidence for any deduction the landlord claims. Without it, a deposit dispute usually collapses into one party’s word against the other’s — and the party without documentation generally loses.
The checklist protects both sides. For the landlord, it documents that observed damage was caused during the tenancy (and is therefore deductible) rather than pre-existing (and not deductible). For the tenant, it proves that the landlord cannot reach into the deposit for conditions that existed before the tenant ever occupied the unit. A well-documented move-in checklist is the most effective defense against unfair deductions, whichever side you are on. That is also why thorough documentation at move-in matters even more than at move-out: the move-in record is the fixed reference point every later comparison is measured against.
Arizona’s Security-Deposit Rules (A.R.S. §33-1321)
Arizona has one of the shortest deposit-return windows in the country. Knowing the exact rules is what turns a good checklist into an enforceable one.
The 14-Business-Day Return and Itemization Deadline
Under §33-1321(D), within fourteen days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or other legal holidays, after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and the tenant’s demand, the landlord must provide an itemized list of all deductions together with any amount due, and return that balance. If the tenant provides no forwarding address, the landlord mails the itemized list and any refund by first-class mail to the tenant’s last known address. Because the count is in business days, a landlord who reads it as fourteen calendar days can blow the deadline by nearly a week.
The Deposit Cap and Non-Refundable Fees
Under §33-1321(A), a landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit — however it is labeled, including prepaid rent — worth more than one and one-half month’s rent. Any fee the landlord intends to keep as non-refundable must be designated as non-refundable in writing in the lease; otherwise it is treated as part of the refundable deposit.
Penalty for Wrongful Withholding
Under §33-1321(E), a landlord who fails to comply with the itemization-and-return duty is liable to the tenant for the property and money due together with damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld. The statute also gives the tenant a window to dispute the itemized list; if the tenant does not dispute within sixty days after it is mailed, the itemized amount is treated as fi