Free New Hampshire Move-In / Move-Out Checklist
Document the rental unit room by room at the start and end of the tenancy. In New Hampshire the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit or itemize deductions under RSA §540-A:7 — this signed checklist plus dated photos is the evidence that protects the deposit.
A New Hampshire move-in / move-out checklist is a written, room-by-room record of a rental unit’s condition, completed at the start of the tenancy and again at the end. It is the evidentiary spine of every security-deposit outcome. Under N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7, a landlord must return the deposit — and any interest due — within 30 days of the tenancy’s termination, or provide a written itemized list of damages that describes each repair “with particularity” plus receipts or estimates. Whether a mark on the wall is chargeable damage or non-chargeable wear and tear, and whether it was there before the tenant arrived, is almost always what a deposit fight turns on. A signed checklist paired with date-stamped photos answers both questions before they are ever asked.
New Hampshire Deposit Rules at a Glance
Return Deadline
30 Days
Governing Statute
RSA §540-A:7
Deposit Cap
1 Month or $100
Keep Records
4 Years Min
Wear-and-Tear vs. Damage — the Line the Deposit Turns On
New Hampshire landlords may deduct only for damage, never for ordinary wear and tear. Faded paint, minor carpet wear in walking paths, small scuffs at door knobs, and small nail holes from hanging pictures are wear and tear — not chargeable. Large holes, carpet stains or burns, broken fixtures, pet-urine damage, smoke damage, and missing items are damage — chargeable. Record the move-in condition and the move-out condition of the same items so the difference is provable rather than argued.
How to Fill Out the Checklist
Use one form for the whole tenancy: set the Inspection Type to Move-In at the start, optionally to Pre-Move-Out before the tenant leaves, and to Final Move-Out at the end. Rate each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A, describe every Poor-rated item by exact location in the notes, and photograph it. The generator below builds a clean, signable multi-page PDF from your entries.
1. Set the baseline at move-in
Before the tenant takes possession, walk the unit together and rate every item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A. This baseline is what move-out is measured against, and in New Hampshire it is how a tenant exercises the RSA §540-A:6 right to note conditions needing repair within five days of occupancy.
2. Photograph every room and every defect
Take date-stamped photos of each room and a close-up of every Poor-rated item at move-in. The written checklist plus dated photos is the two-pillar evidence New Hampshire small-claims courts weigh in a deposit dispute.
3. Run an optional pre-move-out walkthrough
About two weeks before the tenant leaves, set the form to Pre-Move-Out and flag issues they can still fix. New Hampshire does not require this step, but offering it heads off most disputes before they start.
4. Complete the final move-out inspection
Within about 48 hours of the tenant surrendering possession, walk the unit again with the same checklist, re-rate every item, and photograph any change. Compare side-by-side against the move-in record to separate tenant damage from ordinary wear and tear.
5. Sign, retain, and return the deposit on time
Both parties sign each checklist. Keep the signed records and photos for at least four years. If you deduct, mail an itemized list “with particularity” plus receipts or estimates, and return the balance within 30 days of termination under RSA §540-A:7.
Build Your New Hampshire Checklist
Complete the fields below to generate a room-by-room New Hampshire move-in / move-out inspection checklist as a multi-page PDF. Walk the property with the other party present where possible, and pair the finished checklist with date-stamped photos of every room. If you are also placing a new renter, capture the baseline with a thorough move-in condition report, and document the departure with a matching move-out inspection checklist.
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 below and photograph it.
4. Photo Documentation
Date-stamped photos are the second pillar of any defensible New Hampshire 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. A tenant signature acknowledges the accuracy of the inspection findings; it is not a waiver of legal rights.
Why the Checklist Protects the Deposit in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire move-in / move-out process is anchored to N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7, which governs the return of the security deposit. The statute gives the landlord 30 days from the termination of the tenancy to return the deposit and any interest due, or to deliver a written, itemized list of damages that “shall indicate with particularity the nature of any repair” along with “satisfactory evidence” that the repair has been or will be done — meaning receipts for materials, or labor estimates and invoices. A vague list of round numbers does not meet that standard. The room-by-room checklist, filled out the same way at move-in and move-out, is what supplies the particularity the statute demands.
The document protects both sides. For the landlord, it shows that the damage claimed was caused during the tenancy and is therefore deductible, rather than a pre-existing condition. For the tenant, it shows that the landlord cannot reach into the deposit for conditions that existed before the tenant ever occupied the unit. A well-documented move-in walkthrough is the single most effective defense against an unfair deduction in either direction, which is why the baseline walkthrough at the start of the tenancy matters even more than the one at the end.
New Hampshire’s Distinctive Deposit Framework
The 30-Day Return Deadline (RSA §540-A:7)
The 30-day clock starts on the termination of the tenancy and the surrender of possession. The tenant should provide a forwarding address; if none is given, the landlord must mail the deposit and any itemized statement to the tenant’s last known address. Missing the deadline, or withholding without the required itemized list and evidence, exposes the landlord to statutory liability — under New Hampshire’s security-deposit chapter a wrongful retention can cost the landlord more than the amount wrongly withheld, plus the tenant’s costs. When in doubt, return the balance and itemize the rest on time.
The Five-Day Move-In Condition Note (RSA §540-A:6)
This is the New Hampshire wedge that national templates never mention. Under RSA §540-A:6, when a landlord takes a security deposit they must deliver a signed receipt and notify the tenant that any conditions in the unit needing repair or correction should be noted in writing within five days of occupancy. Completing this move-in checklist together at the start of the tenancy is precisely how a tenant records those conditions and how a landlord captures a signed baseline. Do it in the first days, not weeks later.
The Deposit Cap and Interest Rule
New Hampshire caps the security deposit at one month’s rent or one hundred dollars, whichever is greater, for units not occupied by the owner (RSA §540-A:6). If the landlord holds the deposit for one year or longer, the tenant is entitled to interest on it at a rate equal to the interest paid on regular savings accounts at the depository institution. Track the deposit amount and the dates so the interest, if any, is calculated correctly when you return it.
Permissible Deductions
New Hampshire limits what a landlord may take from the deposit to a familiar set of categories: unpaid rent; repair of damage the tenant or the tenant’s guests caused beyond ordinary wear and tear; a tenant’s agreed share of any increase in real-estate taxes; and other lawful charges due under the lease that remain unpaid. Reasonable cleaning to return the unit to its move-in level of cleanliness is generally chargeable; ordinary wear and tear is not. Every deduction must appear on the itemized list with the particularity the statute requires.
Local New Hampshire Notes
State law under RSA chapter 540-A sets the floor, but larger municipalities — Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth, and Dover — can layer additional housing-code or rental-registration requirements on top. Verify local ordinance compliance before finalizing any move-out accounting, and check whether the unit falls under any local rental-inspection program that affects the condition standard.
Move-In vs. Move-Out: What Each Walkthrough Does
The move-in walkthrough establishes the baseline: the agreed condition of the unit before the tenant’s use begins. It is the reference every later inspection is compared against, and in New Hampshire it doubles as the tenant’s five-day condition record. Skipping or rushing it is the most expensive mistake a landlord can make, because there is then nothing to prove a condition is new.
The move-out walkthrough is the comparison: the same items, re-rated after the tenancy, ideally within about 48 hours of the tenant surrendering possession and before any turnover work begins. The optional pre-move-out walkthrough in between gives the tenant a chance to cure small issues before the final inspection, which is the cheapest dispute-avoidance tool available. Run all three from this one form and the side-by-side record writes itself.
Best Practices
- Walk through together. Both parties present at move-in and move-out; a signed, joint checklist is far stronger than a one-sided one.
- Photograph everything. Date-stamped photos of every room and every Poor-rated item, stored with timestamps intact.
- Be specific. “Three-inch gouge in the hardwood at the bedroom doorway, not present at move-in” beats “floor damage.”
- Capture the move-in baseline first. Record pre-existing wear at the start so the tenant is not blamed for it at the end — and to satisfy the RSA §540-A:6 five-day note.
- Return and itemize on time. Deposit balance plus any interest, and an itemized list with receipts or estimates, within 30 days of termination.
- Keep records four-plus years. Disputes surface late; retain the signed checklists and photos for at least four years.
- Deduct only for damage. Never charge the deposit for ordinary wear and tear.
Bottom line
In New Hampshire the security deposit is won or lost at the move-in walkthrough. Rate every item, note conditions within five days of occupancy under RSA §540-A:6, photograph everything, and repeat the walk at move-out. Deduct only for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, and return the balance with an itemized list plus receipts within 30 days under RSA §540-A:7. The signed checklist and dated photos are the evidence — keep them four-plus years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a New Hampshire move-in / move-out checklist?
It is a written, room-by-room inventory of the condition of a rental unit, completed at the start of a tenancy (move-in) and again at the end (move-out). It records the condition of every wall, floor, appliance, and fixture so the parties can compare the two walkthroughs. Under N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7 that documentation is the evidence a landlord needs to justify any deduction from the security deposit, and the evidence a tenant needs to show a condition existed before they moved in.
How many days does a New Hampshire landlord have to return the security deposit?
Thirty days. Under N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:7, a landlord shall return the security deposit, and pay any interest due, within 30 days from the termination of the tenancy. If the landlord keeps any part of it, the same statute requires a written, itemized list of damages that indicates with particularity the nature of each repair, plus satisfactory evidence such as receipts or labor estimates.
Does a move-in / move-out checklist actually protect my security deposit?
Yes, and it is the single most effective protection on either side. The deposit fight is almost always about whether a condition is tenant damage or ordinary wear and tear, and whether it existed before the tenancy. A signed move-in checklist paired with dated photos settles both questions with contemporaneous evidence. Without it, a New Hampshire landlord has little to support a deduction and a tenant has little to challenge one.
When should the New Hampshire move-out inspection be done?
Do the final move-out inspection as soon as the tenant surrenders possession, ideally within about 48 hours, so the unit’s condition is documented before any turnover work begins. New Hampshire does not require a separate pre-move-out inspection, but offering the tenant a joint walkthrough a week or two earlier lets them cure small issues and sharply reduces disputes.
Do I need photos, or is the written checklist enough?
You need both. A defensible New Hampshire deposit deduction rests on two pillars: the written room-by-room checklist signed by both parties, and date-stamped photographs of the same items at the same time. The checklist without photos is easy to dispute, and photos without written descriptions are ambiguous. Together they form the strongest possible record. Retain both for at least four years.
What is New Hampshire’s five-day move-in condition note right?
Under N.H. Rev. Stat. §540-A:6, when a landlord takes a security deposit they must deliver a signed receipt and notify the tenant that any conditions in the unit needing repair or correction should be noted in writing within five days of occupancy. Completing this move-in checklist together at the start of the tenancy is exactly how a New Hampshire tenant exercises that right, which is why the baseline walkthrough matters so much in this state.
What is the difference between normal wear and tear and damage in New Hampshire?
Normal wear and tear is the gradual, expected deterioration of a unit from ordinary use: faded paint, minor carpet wear in walking paths, small scuffs at door knobs, and small nail holes from hanging pictures. Damage is harm beyond ordinary use: large holes in walls, carpet stains or burns, broken fixtures, pet urine damage, smoke damage, and missing items. New Hampshire landlords may deduct only for damage, never for wear and tear, and the move-in / move-out checklist plus photos is what proves which is which.
How long should I keep the New Hampshire checklist and photos?
Keep the signed move-in and move-out checklists and all supporting photos for at least four years after the tenancy ends. New Hampshire’s statute of limitations for a written-contract dispute runs several years, and deposit claims can surface long after move-out. Store the records in a dated cloud backup so the timestamps are preserved and the file cannot be lost.
The cleanest move-outs start with the right tenant
A thorough checklist protects the deposit, but screening renters carefully at the application stage prevents most deposit disputes from ever happening. Tenant Screening Background Check has verified New Hampshire renters since 2004 — credit, eviction filings, criminal background, and employment — across all 50 states and DC.
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