Free North Dakota Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
A room-by-room inspection checklist that documents the rental unit at the start and end of the tenancy. Walk the property, rate every item, attach photos, then download a signable multi-page PDF. Under N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-07.1 your landlord must return the deposit or itemize deductions within 30 days.
A North Dakota move-in / move-out inspection checklist is the written, room-by-room record of a rental unit’s condition at the start of a tenancy and again at the end. It is the single most important document in any security deposit dispute, because under N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-07.1 it is the evidence that separates pre-existing conditions from tenant-caused damage. The landlord has 30 days after the tenant surrenders possession to return the deposit or mail an itemized statement of deductions, and a deposit withheld without reasonable justification exposes the landlord to treble damages. Fill out the form below for both walk-throughs, rate each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A, pair it with date-stamped photos, and download a signable PDF.
North Dakota Deposit & Inspection at a Glance
Governing Statute
N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-07.1
Deposit Return
30 Days, Itemized
Deposit Cap
One Month (Pet: Greater of $2,500 or Two Months)
Keep Records
4 Years Min
The Two-Pillar Documentation Standard
A defensible deposit deduction rests on two pieces of evidence: (1) this written, room-by-room checklist signed by both parties, and (2) date-stamped photographs of the same items at the same time. The written checklist alone is often challenged, and photos without descriptions are ambiguous, but together they are the strongest possible defense in a North Dakota deposit dispute. Always do both, at move-in and again at move-out.
How to Conduct a North Dakota Move-In / Move-Out Inspection
The process is the same for both walk-throughs, and doing them identically is what makes the before-and-after comparison hold up. Give notice, offer a joint walk-through, rate every item, photograph everything, and sign. Run the exact same steps at move-out and compare item-by-item against the move-in baseline.
1. Give notice and schedule a joint walk-through
Notify the tenant of the inspection date and time and offer to walk the unit together. A joint walk-through lets both parties acknowledge each item in real time and cuts deposit disputes dramatically. North Dakota does not mandate a pre-move-out inspection, but offering one is best practice.
2. Prepare the checklist and supplies
Print the room-by-room checklist and bring a charged phone or camera, a flashlight, an outlet tester, and the signed lease so you can note exactly what was promised at the start of the tenancy. Have the move-in record in hand when you do the move-out walk.
3. Rate every item, room by room
Go through each room and mark every surface, appliance, and fixture Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A. Describe each Poor-rated item by exact location in the notes (“living room, three-inch hole in north wall near the outlet”) so the record is specific rather than vague.
4. Photograph each room and each defect
Take a wide shot of every room for context plus close-ups of each Poor-rated item, all date-stamped. Photograph the same items from the same angle at move-in and move-out so the comparison is unambiguous. A typical unit needs roughly fifty to seventy-five photos.
5. Sign, distribute, and retain
Have both parties sign the checklist, give the tenant a copy, and store the signed checklist and the photos together in a dated cloud backup. Keep the record for at least four years so it is available for any deposit accounting or dispute.
6. Repeat at move-out and compare
Run the identical walk-through after the tenant returns possession, compare against the move-in record, and separate ordinary wear and tear from chargeable damage before itemizing any deduction within the 30-day window set by N.D. Cent. Code 47-16-07.1.
Complete the North Dakota Move-In / Move-Out Checklist
Complete the fields below to generate a printable, room-by-room inspection checklist as a multi-page PDF. Use the same form for the move-in walk-through (which establishes the baseline condition) and the move-out walk-through (which documents the condition at the end of the tenancy). Both should be conducted with the tenant present whenever possible and paired with date-stamped photos. If you are also placing a new renter, start with thorough tenant screening so the next tenancy begins on solid footing.
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). Document any 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, and retain the photos for at least four years in a dated cloud backup.
5. Signatures
Both parties should sign and retain a copy. The tenant’s signature acknowledges the accuracy of the inspection findings; it is not a waiver of any legal right.
Move-In vs. Move-Out Inspection: What’s the Difference?
The two walk-throughs use the same form but do very different jobs. The move-in inspection sets the baseline: it records the exact condition of the unit before the tenant takes possession, so nothing pre-existing can later be blamed on the tenant. Do it before the tenant receives keys, ideally together, and give the tenant a signed copy. The move-out inspection records the condition after the tenant removes belongings and returns possession, and it is compared item-by-item against the move-in record.
Only the difference between the two walk-throughs, beyond ordinary wear and tear, may be charged against the deposit. That is why running them identically matters so much: same rooms, same items, same camera angles. If the move-in record shows a wall rated Good and the move-out record shows a three-inch hole, the checklist and photos make the charge defensible. Wit