Free Louisiana Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
A room-by-room move-in and move-out inspection checklist for Louisiana rentals. Document the unit at the start and end of the tenancy, separate ordinary wear from damage, and support the La. R.S. 9:3251 one-month deposit accounting. Fill it in below and download a signable multi-page PDF.
A Louisiana move-in / move-out checklist is a written, room-by-room record of a rental unit’s condition captured at the start of the tenancy and again at the end. It is the evidentiary spine of any security-deposit decision: under La. R.S. 9:3251, the lessor must return the deposit or forward an itemized statement of deductions within one month after the lease terminates, and the checklist plus date-stamped photos is what proves whether a condition is chargeable damage or non-chargeable wear and tear. Use the generator below to build both walk-throughs on one consistent form.
Louisiana Deposit Documentation at a Glance
Governing Statute
La. R.S. 9:3251
Return / Itemize
Within One Month
Willful-Failure Trigger
30 Days After Written Demand
Keep Records
4 Years Min
The Two-Pillar Documentation Standard
A defensible Louisiana 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 taken at the same walk-through. The checklist alone is often not enough, and photos without written descriptions are easy to challenge — but together they are the strongest possible record. Always do both, at move-in and at move-out.
How to Run the Louisiana Walk-Through
1. Inspect together at move-in
Before the tenant takes possession, walk the unit together room by room and record the baseline condition of every surface, appliance, and fixture. This move-in record is the yardstick every later charge is measured against.
2. Rate each item and write specific notes
Mark each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A, then describe any Poor-rated item by exact location — “three-inch hole in the north living-room wall near the outlet” beats “minor damage.” Precise notes win disputes; vague ones lose them.
3. Photograph everything, date-stamped
Take date-stamped photos of each room and a close-up of every flagged item. The written checklist plus photos is the two-pillar record that carries a Louisiana deposit dispute.
4. Both parties sign and keep a copy
Have the landlord or agent and the tenant sign the completed checklist, and give each party a copy. The tenant should furnish a forwarding address so the deposit accounting can be mailed.
5. Repeat the identical walk-through at move-out
Use the same form and the same items at move-out so the two records line up item for item. Conduct the move-out walk-through with the tenant present whenever possible.
6. Compare the records and account within one month
Compare move-out to move-in, charge only for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and return the deposit or send an itemized statement within one month of termination under La. R.S. 9:3251.
Build Your Louisiana Checklist
Complete the fields below to generate a printable, room-by-room Louisiana move-in / move-out inspection checklist as a multi-page PDF. Use the same form for both walk-throughs — the move-in inspection establishes the baseline, and the move-out inspection documents the condition at the end of the tenancy. Walk the unit with the tenant present whenever possible, rate each item, and pair the finished checklist with date-stamped photographs. If you are also placing a new renter, start with thorough tenant screening and consistent move-in condition documentation.
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 field below and photograph it.
4. Photo Documentation
Date-stamped photos are the second pillar of a defensible deposit claim. Photograph each room and each Poor-rated item at both walk-throughs, then retain the images for at least four years in dated cloud backup.
5. Signatures
Both parties should sign and keep a copy. The tenant’s signature acknowledges the recorded condition; it is not a waiver of legal rights.
What a Louisiana Move-In / Move-Out Checklist Is
A Louisiana move-in / move-out checklist is a written, room-by-room inventory that records the condition of a rental unit twice: once at the start of the tenancy and once at the end. It is not a statutory notice and it does not have to follow a fixed state form — its power is evidentiary. When a deposit dispute arises, the checklist is the contemporaneous record that fixes what the unit looked like before the tenant moved in and what it looked like after they left, so the two conditions can be compared item by item.
The document serves both sides. For the landlord, a signed move-in record proves that damage found at move-out happened during the tenancy and is therefore chargeable. For the tenant, that same record proves a condition was pre-existing and cannot be charged against the deposit. That two-way protection is why a thorough move-in walk-through is the single most effective defense against an unfair deduction, in either direction.
Move-In vs. Move-Out: Why You Compare the Two
The checklist only works when you run it twice on the same form. The move-in inspection sets the baseline — every item is rated and photographed while the unit is empty and clean, before the tenant has occupied it. The move-out inspection repeats the identical walk-through after the tenant returns possession. Because the item list is the same on both passes, the two records line up cleanly, and the only things that can be charged are the items that got measurably worse and crossed from wear into damage.
Skipping the move-in pass is the most common and most costly mistake. Without a baseline, a landlord cannot prove a stain or a hole is new, and a tenant cannot prove it was already there — the dispute becomes one person’s word against another’s. The generator above deliberately uses one form for every inspection type (Move-In, Pre-Move-Out, or Final Move-Out) precisely so both records are structured identically and easy to compare.
When to Do the Move-Out Inspection
Do the final move-out walk-through at or immediately after the tenant returns possession, once the unit is empty, and use the same items you rated at move-in. Louisiana does not statutorily require a landlord to offer a pre-move-out inspection (unlike California), but offering a joint walk-through a week or two before the tenant leaves is strong practice: it lets the tenant see and cure minor issues before they become deductions, and it heads off most disputes before they start. Whenever possible, both parties should be present at the final inspection so the recorded condition is agreed rather than contested.
Normal Wear and Tear vs. Damage in Louisiana
La. R.S. 9:3251 lets a lessor retain only what is reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant default or unreasonable wear — never ordinary wear and tear. Ordinary wear and tear is the gradual, expected decline of a unit from normal living: it is a cost of doing business, not a chargeable item. Damage is harm beyond ordinary use, and it is the only condition category a Louisiana landlord may lawfully deduct for. The checklist and photos are exactly what a court looks at to tell the two apart.
| Normal wear and tear (not deductible) | Damage (deductible) |
|---|---|
| Faded or lightly scuffed paint after a normal tenancy | Large holes, gouges, or unapproved paint colors |
| Minor carpet wear in walking paths | Carpet stains, pet-urine saturation, or burns |
| Small nail holes from hanging pictures | Anchors, cracked drywall, or shelving torn from walls |
| Loose grout or lightly worn caulking | Cracked tile, broken fixtures, or missing hardware |
| Dusty blinds or a worn appliance seal | Broken blinds, missing appliances, or non-working units |
| Light dirt requiring routine cleaning | Excessive filth, smoke damage, or removal of trash left behind |
The line is not always obvious, which is why specificity matters. A note that reads “kitchen flooring — two-inch burn near the stove, not present at move-in” paired with a dated photo is far more defensible than “floor damaged.” Rate honestly, describe precisely, and let the move-in record carry the argument.
Photo Documentation Done Right
Photographs are the second pillar of every defensible claim, and they are cheap insurance. Turn the camera date-stamp on, and photograph every room plus a close-up of every Poor-rated item at both the move-in and the move-out walk-through. There is no magic number — full coverage of a typical unit usually runs to dozens of images — but consistency between the two passes is what makes the set persuasive. Store the images in a dated cloud backup so the timestamps are preserved, and keep them for at least four years alongside the signed checklist.
The Louisiana Deposit-Return Rule (La. R.S. 9:3251)
Under La. R.S. 9:3251, the lessor must, within one month after the lease terminates, either return the deposit in full or forward to the tenant an itemized statement accounting for every amount retained and the reason for it. The statute permits the lessor to keep only what is reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant default (such as unpaid rent) or to repair unreasonable wear — and the tenant must furnish a forwarding address at termination so the statement can be mailed. The statutory word is “one month,” which landlords generally treat as roughly thirty days, but the checklist and photos are what justify each line of the itemization.
What Happens If the Landlord Misses the Deadline
The penalty lives in a companion statute, La. R.S. 9:3252. A lessor who fails to remit within thirty days after the tenant’s written demand for a refund has committed a willful failure. A willful failure lets the tenant recover the wrongfully retained portion of the deposit plus the greater of three hundred dollars or twice the wrongfully retained amount. The action may be filed in the parish of the lessor’s domicile or in the parish where the property is located. Note the two distinct clocks landlords routinely confuse: the one-month return-or-itemize duty under 9:3251, and the separate thirty-day-after-written-demand trigger that converts a non-payment into a willful failure under 9:3252.
Louisiana’s Civil-Law Context
Louisiana is the only U.S. state whose private law descends from the civil-law tradition of the Napoleonic Code rather than English common law. In practice, deposit and lease disputes are decided under the Louisiana Civil Code and the Revised Statutes, and cases are heard in parish courts rather than “county” courts. Familiar common-law labels have civil-law equivalents that can operate differently, so it is worth confirming Louisiana-specific procedure before pursuing or defending a deposit claim. For the broader framework, see our Louisiana security deposit laws guide and the full Louisiana landlord-tenant laws overview.
How Long to Keep the Records
Keep the signed move-in and move-out checklists and every photo for at least four years after the tenancy ends. Louisiana’s limitation period for an action on a written contract is generous, and four years comfortably covers a deposit dispute or a small-claims filing. Retain the originals in a secure, date-stamped cloud backup so the metadata survives, and store the checklist and the photos together so the two pillars never drift apart. When you also produce an itemized statement, keep a copy of the mailed statement and proof of the forwarding address you used.
Bottom line
Run the same room-by-room checklist twice — at move-in and at move-out — rate every item, and photograph everything with date-stamps. Compare the two records, charge only for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and return the deposit or send an itemized statement within one month under La. R.S. 9:3251. Miss it, and a written demand plus thirty days of silence can cost the greater of three hundred dollars or twice the amount wrongfully held under La. R.S. 9:3252. Sign both walk-throughs, keep everything four-plus years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Louisiana move-in / move-out checklist and does it protect my deposit?
It is a written, room-by-room inventory of the condition of a rental unit recorded at the start of the tenancy (move-in) and again at the end (move-out). It protects the deposit for both sides: it lets a Louisiana landlord prove that damage happened during the tenancy and is therefore deductible under La. R.S. 9:3251, and it lets a tenant prove that a condition was pre-existing and cannot be charged. Paired with date-stamped photos it is the strongest evidence in any deposit dispute.
How long does a Louisiana landlord have to return the security deposit?
Within one month. La. R.S. 9:3251 requires the lessor to return the deposit, or forward an itemized statement of the amounts retained and the reasons, within one month after the lease terminates. The lessor may keep only what is reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant default or unreasonable wear. The tenant should give a forwarding address at termination so the statement can be mailed.
What happens if the Louisiana landlord misses the deadline?
Under La. R.S. 9:3252, failing to remit within thirty days after the tenant makes a written demand is treated as willful failure. A willful failure lets the tenant recover the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of three hundred dollars or twice the wrongfully retained amount. The suit may be brought in the parish of the lessor’s domicile or where the property is located.
When should the move-out inspection be done?
Do the move-out walk-through at or immediately after the tenant returns possession and the unit is empty, using the same form and items as the move-in inspection so the two records line up. Louisiana does not statutorily require a pre-move-out inspection, but offering a joint walk-through with the tenant a week or two before move-out is best practice because it lets the tenant cure issues and heads off disputes.
Do I need photos, and how many?
Yes. Photos are the second pillar of a defensible claim. Photograph every room and a close-up of every Poor-rated item at both move-in and move-out, with the camera date-stamp on. There is no fixed number, but full coverage of a typical unit is often dozens of images. Store them in dated cloud backup and keep them for at least four years.
How do I tell normal wear and tear from damage in Louisiana?
Ordinary wear and tear is the gradual, expected decline from normal use and is not chargeable: faded paint, minor carpet wear in walking paths, small scuff marks, and small nail holes. Damage is harm beyond ordinary use and is chargeable: large holes, carpet stains or burns, broken fixtures, pet urine damage, smoke damage, and missing items. La. R.S. 9:3251 lets the lessor deduct only for unreasonable wear or a default, never for ordinary wear. The move-in and move-out records plus photos are what prove the difference.
Does the tenant have to sign it, and who fills it out?
The landlord or property manager usually completes the checklist during the walk-through, ideally with the tenant present. Both parties should sign and each keep a copy. The tenant’s signature acknowledges the recorded condition; it is not a waiver of legal rights. A checklist signed by both parties is far stronger evidence than one filled out by the landlord alone.
How long should I keep the Louisiana checklist and photos?
Keep the signed move-in and move-out checklists and all photos for at least four years after the tenancy ends. Louisiana’s limitation period for a written-contract action is generally long, and four years comfortably covers a deposit dispute. Store originals in a secure, date-stamped cloud backup so the timestamps are preserved.
The cleanest move-out starts with the right tenant
A thorough checklist protects both parties, but the surest way to avoid a move-out dispute is to screen tenants well before they ever get the keys. Tenant Screening Background Check has verified Louisiana renters since 2004 — credit, eviction filings, criminal background, and employment — with no monthly fees.
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