Free Arkansas Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
Document your Arkansas rental room by room at the start and the end of the tenancy. A signed checklist plus date-stamped photos is the strongest way to protect the deposit and meet the 60-day return rule under Ark. Code 18-16-305. Download a signable multi-page PDF.
An Arkansas move-in / move-out inspection checklist is a written, room-by-room record of a rental unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy and again at the end. It is the single most important document in any deposit dispute: paired with date-stamped photos, it separates pre-existing conditions from tenant-caused damage. Under Ark. Code 18-16-305, a covered landlord must return the deposit or mail a written itemized statement of deductions within 60 days of the end of the tenancy and return of possession, and this checklist is the evidence that supports (or defeats) each line of that statement. Use the same form twice, sign it both times, and keep it for at least four years.
Arkansas Deposit & Documentation at a Glance
Governing Statute
Ark. Code 18-16-305
Return Deadline
60 Days + Itemize
Statute Applies To
Owners of 6+ Units
Keep Records
4 Years Min
The Two-Pillar Documentation Standard
A defensible deposit deduction needs two pieces of evidence working together: (1) this written, room-by-room checklist signed by both parties, and (2) date-stamped photos or video of the same items at the same time. The checklist alone is often challenged as one-sided, and photos alone lack context, but together they are very hard to dispute. Always do both, at move-in and at move-out.
How to Run an Arkansas Move-In / Move-Out Walk-Through
The move-in walk-through sets the baseline; the move-out walk-through records the ending condition; the comparison between the two is what a small-claims judge actually looks at. Run both inspections the same way, in the same room order, so the two records line up item for item.
1. Schedule the walk-through with the tenant present
Do the move-in inspection before the tenant takes possession and the final move-out inspection right after possession is returned and the unit is empty. Walk it together whenever possible so both parties see and agree on the same condition.
2. Go room by room and rate every item
Work each room in a fixed order and rate every surface, fixture, and appliance Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A. Do not skip closets, screens, outlets, or the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, which are the items most often missed.
3. Describe every defect precisely
For each Poor-rated item, note the exact location and size, for example a three-inch hole in the north living-room wall near the outlet, rather than a vague minor damage. Specific notes are what hold up later.
4. Photograph and video each room
Take a wide shot of every room plus close-ups of each defect. Place a coin or tape measure next to damage to show scale, and keep the camera date stamp on. A slow video walk-through captures what a still misses.
5. Both parties sign and keep a copy
The landlord and tenant sign and date the checklist, and each keeps a copy. The tenant signature confirms the recorded condition; it is not a waiver of any legal right, and that should be understood by both sides.
6. Compare move-out to the move-in record
At move-out, set the two checklists side by side. Anything worse than move-in beyond ordinary wear and tear is potentially chargeable; anything unchanged or only naturally worn is not deductible.
7. Return the deposit or itemize within 60 days
If you are a covered landlord, Ark. Code 18-16-305 gives you 60 days after the end of the tenancy to refund the deposit or mail a written itemized statement of deductions with the remaining balance.
Build Your Arkansas 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 both walk-throughs: pick Move-In at the start of the tenancy to set the baseline, then generate a fresh Final Move-Out version at the end. Conduct each walk-through with the tenant present where possible, and pair every checklist with date-stamped photos. If you are also placing a new renter, start with thorough tenant screening so you begin the tenancy with the right person in the unit.
1. Parties & Tenancy
2. Property
3. Room-by-Room Condition
For each item choose Good (no defects), Fair (minor wear), Poor (visible damage), or N/A (not present). Describe every Poor-rated item in the notes box below and photograph it.
4. Photo Documentation
Date-stamped photos are the second pillar of any defensible claim. Photograph each room and each Poor-rated item, place a coin or tape measure next to damage for scale, and retain the files in cloud backup for at least four years.
5. Signatures
Both parties should sign and keep a copy. The tenant signature acknowledges the accuracy of the recorded condition; it is not a waiver of any legal right.
How to Document Condition: Photos, Video, and the Ruler-for-Scale Rule
The written checklist tells a reader what you found; the images prove it. For every inspection, capture a wide shot of each room so the overall condition is unmistakable, then move in for close-ups of every defect. When you photograph damage, place a coin, a dollar bill, or a tape measure next to it so the image shows the true size — a photo captioned “scratched floor” is arguable, but a photo of a six-inch gouge with a ruler beside it is not.
A slow video walk-through is an excellent supplement because it captures the whole unit in one continuous, hard-to-fake pass and records the date automatically. Narrate as you go — say the room and note anything unusual out loud. Keep the camera’s date stamp turned on, and never crop or edit the originals; store the untouched files. Label everything by inspection: a folder named with the property address and the inspection date keeps the move-in set cleanly separated from the move-out set so you can prove which images came from which walk-through.
Move-In vs. Move-Out: Comparing the Two Records
The checklist only does its job when you actually compare the two versions. At move-out, lay the move-in checklist and the move-out checklist side by side and read them item by item. An item rated Good at move-in and still Good at move-out is unremarkable. An item that dropped from Good to Poor is where you focus: pull the move-in and move-out photos for that item and decide honestly whether the change is ordinary wear and tear (not chargeable) or damage beyond ordinary use (potentially chargeable).
This is also why the move-in inspection matters as much as the move-out one. If you never documented that the carpet already had a stain when the tenant moved in, you cannot later prove the tenant caused it — and a tenant who documented it protects themselves from being charged for it. The baseline is what makes the ending record meaningful. When the two records disagree, the party with the clearer, date-stamped documentation almost always prevails.
When to Schedule the Move-Out Inspection
Do the final move-out inspection right after the tenant returns possession and the unit is empty, because furniture and belongings hide exactly the floor, wall, and baseboard damage you are looking for. Waiting also risks a new tenant, a cleaning crew, or a contractor entering first and muddying who caused what, so inspect before anyone else touches the unit.
Arkansas does not require a landlord to offer a pre-move-out inspection (unlike a handful of states such as California). Even so, offering an optional pre-move-out walk-through a week or two before the tenant leaves is a strong best practice: it gives the tenant a written chance to clean or repair before the final inspection, which shrinks the final deduction and heads off most disputes before they start. For the interim walk-through, choose the Pre-Move-Out inspection type in the form above. To formally invite the tenant, pair it with a pre-move-out inspection request.
Arkansas Security Deposit Deadline and the 60-Day Rule
The reason the checklist matters in Arkansas is Ark. Code § 18-16-305. It requires a covered landlord to return the security deposit, or to deliver a written itemized statement of any deductions together with the remaining balance, within sixty (60) days after the end of the tenancy and the tenant’s return of possession. The landlord is treated as having complied by mailing the notice and any refund first-class to the tenant’s last known address, so a tenant should always leave a forwarding address.
Arkansas has one of the longest deposit-return windows in the country, but the deadline is real: a covered landlord who blows the 60 days can lose the right to keep any part of the deposit, and a willful violation can expose the landlord to additional damages plus reasonable attorney fees. The itemized statement is only as good as the documentation behind it — every deduction should trace directly to a Poor-rated line on the move-out checklist and a matching photo. For the return letter itself, see the Arkansas security deposit return letter, and for the deduction math, the Arkansas itemized deductions form.
The Five-or-Fewer-Units Exemption (Ark. Code § 18-16-303)
Arkansas is unusual: its security-deposit statute does not apply to an owner (individually or through entities they control) of five or fewer dwelling units — unless management, including rent collection, is performed by a third party for a fee. So a landlord with six or more units, or any landlord who uses a management company, is covered and must meet the 60-day itemization rule; a true small owner is not, and the lease terms plus common-law contract principles control instead. Either way, the documentation habit is identical, because a signed checklist with photos is the best evidence in a statutory claim and a contract claim alike. For the full framework, see the Arkansas security deposit laws guide.
Wear and Tear vs. Damage in Arkansas
A landlord may deduct only for damage beyond ordinary use, never for ordinary wear and tear. Arkansas courts, like those in most states, treat wear and tear as the natural, gradual deterioration of a unit from normal living. The move-in / move-out checklist plus photographs is exactly the evidence that places a given condition on one side of that line or the other.
Ordinary wear and tear (not chargeable)
- Faded or lightly scuffed paint after a full tenancy
- Minor carpet wear in walking paths
- A few small nail holes from hanging pictures
- Loose grout or minor caulk shrinkage
- Worn finish on well-used cabinet or door hardware
Damage beyond ordinary use (chargeable)
- Large holes in walls or doors
- Carpet stains, burns, or pet-urine saturation
- Broken fixtures, windows, or appliances
- Smoke damage from indoor smoking
- Missing items or unapproved alterations
What an Arkansas Landlord Can Deduct
Permissible deductions in Arkansas track the categories most states recognize. A covered landlord may apply the deposit to:
- Unpaid rent and any charges the lease treats as rent that remain owed at the end of the tenancy.
- Repair of damage caused by the tenant or the tenant’s guests beyond ordinary wear and tear.
- Reasonable cleaning costs needed to return the unit to the level of cleanliness it had at the start of the tenancy.
- Other amounts authorized by the lease and consistent with Ark. Code § 18-16-305.
Each deduction belongs on the written itemized statement, and each should trace to a documented, photographed condition on the move-out checklist. Deductions that cannot be tied to the record are the ones tenants successfully challenge. Note also that Arkansas caps the security deposit itself at two months’ rent for covered landlords, so an over-collected deposit is its own separate problem.
How Long to Keep the Checklist and Photos
Keep the signed move-in and move-out checklists, all room photos, and any video for at least four years after the tenancy ends. Arkansas’s limitation period for written-contract disputes runs several years, and a four-year retention comfortably covers a deposit or damage claim. Store the files with their date stamps intact in a secure cloud backup, organized in a folder labeled with the property address and each inspection date, so you can produce the complete before-and-after record on demand. Digital copies are fine; what matters is that the images are unedited and the signatures are legible.
Bottom line
Document the unit room by room at move-in and again at move-out, using the same form both times, and back every rating with a date-stamped photo. Compare the two records item by item, charge only for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and — if you are a covered Arkansas landlord — return the deposit or mail a written itemized statement within 60 days under Ark. Code 18-16-305. Both parties sign, both keep a copy, and everyone holds the record for four-plus years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Arkansas move-in / move-out checklist?
It is a written, room-by-room record of a rental unit’s condition at the start of the tenancy (move-in) and again at the end (move-out). It is the evidence that separates pre-existing conditions from tenant-caused damage, and under Ark. Code 18-16-305 it is the foundation for any deposit deduction a covered landlord later claims.
Does the checklist actually protect my security deposit?
Yes. A signed move-in checklist paired with date-stamped photos is the strongest defense against an unfair deduction. It proves what condition existed before you occupied the unit, so a landlord cannot charge you for damage that was already there — and it lets a landlord prove damage that genuinely happened during the tenancy.
Do I use the same form for move-in and move-out?
Yes. Use the same checklist twice: once at move-in to set the baseline and again at move-out to record the ending condition. Choose the inspection type at the top of the form, generate a fresh PDF each time, and keep both so you can compare them line by line.
When should the move-out inspection be done?
Do the final move-out inspection right after the tenant returns possession and the unit is empty, so furniture no longer hides damage. Many landlords also offer an optional pre-move-out walk-through a week or two earlier so the tenant has a chance to fix issues before the final inspection.
Do I need photos, or is the checklist enough?
Use both. The written checklist describes each item and the photos or video prove it. Take a wide shot of every room plus close-ups of each defect, place a coin or tape measure next to damage to show scale, keep the date stamp on, and store the files in cloud backup for at least four years.
How many days does an Arkansas landlord have to return the deposit?
Sixty days. Under Ark. Code 18-16-305 a covered landlord must return the deposit, or mail a written itemized statement of any deductions plus the remainder, within 60 days of the end of the tenancy and return of possession. Mailing first-class to the tenant’s last known address satisfies the requirement.
Does the 60-day rule apply to every Arkansas landlord?
No. Under Ark. Code 18-16-303 the security-deposit statute does not apply to an owner of five or fewer dwelling units, unless a third party manages the units or collects rent for a fee. Landlords with six or more units, or any landlord using a management company, are covered and must meet the 60-day itemization rule.
What is the difference between normal wear and tear and damage in Arkansas?
Normal wear and tear is the gradual decline from ordinary use: faded paint, minor carpet wear in walking paths, small scuffs, and a few nail holes. Damage is harm beyond ordinary use: large holes, carpet stains or burns, broken fixtures, pet-urine damage, and smoke damage. A landlord may deduct only for damage, never for wear and tear, and the checklist plus photos is what proves which is which.
How long should I keep the checklist and photos?
Keep the signed move-in and move-out checklists and all photos for at least four years after the tenancy ends. Arkansas’s limitation period for written-contract disputes is long, and four years comfortably covers a deposit or damage claim. Store the files with the date stamps intact in a secure cloud backup.
Prevent move-out disputes: screen tenants at move-in
The cleanest move-outs come from tenants screened thoroughly at the application stage. Tenant Screening Background Check has been verifying Arkansas renters since 2004 — credit, eviction filings, criminal background, and employment — with no monthly fees. Choosing the right tenant at move-in is the best move-out protection there is.
Related Arkansas Forms & Guides
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