Free Illinois Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
A room-by-room move-in and move-out checklist aligned to 765 ILCS 710. Document the unit’s condition at the start and end of the tenancy, then download a signable multi-page PDF that protects the security deposit for both sides.
An Illinois move-in / move-out inspection checklist is the foundational record for any security deposit dispute. Under 765 ILCS 710, the Security Deposit Return Act, a covered landlord who keeps part of the deposit must send an itemized statement of damages within 30 days of the tenant vacating and, if none is sent, must return the full deposit within 45 days. The written checklist, paired with date-stamped photographs, is the evidence that separates deductible damage from non-deductible wear and tear. Fill it out at move-in to set the baseline, repeat the walk at move-out, and both parties sign.
Illinois Deposit Rules at a Glance
Statute
765 ILCS 710
Itemize Within
30 Days
Return Deposit
45 Days
Keep Records
4 Years Min
The Two-Pillar Documentation Standard
A defensible deposit deduction needs two pieces of evidence: (1) this written room-by-room checklist signed by both parties, and (2) date-stamped photographs of the same items taken at the same time. The checklist alone can be called subjective; photos alone lack descriptions. Together they are the strongest defense in any Illinois deposit dispute. Always do both, at move-in and at move-out.
How to Use the Illinois Move-In / Move-Out Checklist
The checklist works the same way at both ends of the tenancy: you walk the unit, rate each item, describe anything that is not perfect, and photograph it. The power comes from using the same form twice so the move-in and move-out records line up item by item. Follow this sequence.
1. Walk the unit at move-in, before the tenant’s belongings arrive
Do the baseline inspection when the unit is empty and clean so every surface is visible. An empty unit is the only chance to record true starting condition, and it is the record the tenant will rely on to avoid being charged for pre-existing wear.
2. Rate each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A
Move room by room and give every listed item a condition rating. Good means no defects, Fair means minor cosmetic wear, Poor means visible damage that needs description, and N/A means the item is not present in this unit.
3. Describe every Poor-rated item precisely
In the notes, name the exact location and size: “living room, three-inch hole in north wall near the outlet” beats “wall damaged.” Precise notes are what let a later reader tell wear from damage without being in the room.
4. Photograph each room and each defect
Take date-stamped photos of every room and a close-up of every Poor item. Photos and written notes are the two pillars; neither is as strong alone. Capture wide shots for context and close-ups for detail.
5. Both parties sign and date, and each keeps a copy
Have the landlord or agent and the tenant sign the move-in checklist together. A signed, dated record is far stronger evidence than one party’s word, and the tenant’s signature confirms the findings without waiving any legal right.
6. Repeat the exact walk at move-out
After the tenant returns possession, run the same checklist again and compare it against the move-in copy. Differences that go beyond ordinary wear are the only items a landlord may charge against the deposit.
7. Meet the 30-day and 45-day deadlines
If you are keeping any part of the deposit, send the itemized statement within 30 days and the deposit balance within 45 days. Attach paid receipts, not estimates, and keep the signed checklist and photos for at least four years.
Move-In vs. Move-Out vs. Pre-Move-Out
One form covers three moments in the tenancy, and the checklist below lets you label which inspection you are running. Knowing the difference keeps your records clean.
Move-in inspection. Done at the start of the tenancy, ideally with the tenant present and the unit empty. It establishes the baseline: any condition recorded here is pre-existing and can never be charged to the tenant later. This is the single most valuable record for a tenant and the landlord’s proof of the unit’s starting state.
Pre-move-out (interim) inspection. An optional walk shortly before the tenant leaves. Illinois does not require it by statute, unlike California, but offering one is strong practice: it shows the tenant exactly what needs attention and gives them a chance to clean or repair before the final accounting, which prevents most disputes.
Final move-out inspection. Done right after the tenant returns possession, using the same checklist. Compare it to the move-in record item by item. Only differences beyond ordinary wear and tear are chargeable, and each charge should be backed by the notes, the photos, and a paid receipt. For the accounting itself, use the Illinois security deposit itemization form and, when returning the balance, the Illinois deposit return letter.
Build Your Illinois Checklist
Complete the fields below to generate a printable, room-by-room Illinois move-in / move-out inspection checklist as a multi-page PDF. Rate each item, add notes for anything less than Good, and record your photo documentation. The checklist is strongest when both parties sign and photos are attached. If you are placing a new renter, pair it with a full tenant screening at the application stage.
1. Parties & Inspection
2. Property
3. Room-by-Room Condition
4. Photo Documentation
Date-stamped photos are the second pillar of a defensible deposit claim. Photograph each room and each Poor-rated item, and retain the images for at least four years in 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 legal rights.
Illinois’s Distinctive Deposit Framework
Illinois runs a tiered system under the Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710), and the checklist matters precisely because it is the evidence behind every deadline in that Act. A landlord who withholds any part of the deposit for damage must furnish the tenant an itemized statement of the damage within 30 days of the date the tenant vacates; if the statement uses estimated costs, paid receipts (or copies) follow within 30 days of that statement. If no itemized statement is furnished at all, the landlord must return the full deposit within 45 days of the date the tenant left. Miss the window and the right to deduct is forfeited.
Only one threshold still decides anything here. The Security Deposit Return Act used to apply only to buildings with five or more units, but Public Act 103-224 deleted that threshold effective January 1, 2024, so single-family homes and small multi-unit buildings are now inside the state itemization rule too. The separate Security Deposit Interest Act (765 ILCS 715) is the one that still has a threshold, layering interest-payment duties onto buildings with twenty-five or more units in a single building or a complex on contiguous parcels. And in Chicago, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO,