Free Washington Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
Document the rental unit room-by-room at the start and end of the tenancy. In Washington the signed move-in checklist is required by law before any deposit can be collected under RCW 59.18.260, and the deposit or an itemized statement is due within 30 days under RCW 59.18.280.
A Washington 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. Washington treats it more seriously than most states: under RCW 59.18.260, a landlord may not collect a security deposit at all unless the rental agreement is in writing and the landlord gives the tenant a written checklist describing the unit’s condition, signed and dated by both parties. That signed move-in checklist is the evidentiary foundation of the deposit accounting, and under RCW 59.18.280 the landlord must return the deposit or deliver a full and specific statement of deductions within 30 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant vacates. Paired with date-stamped photos, the checklist is what separates deductible damage from non-deductible wear and tear.
Washington Deposit Rules at a Glance
Statutes
RCW 59.18.260 & .280
Return Deadline
30 Days
Move-In Checklist
Required by Law
If Landlord Fails
Full Deposit + Fees
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 record describes the condition; the photos prove it. A checklist alone is weak and photos alone are ambiguous, but together they are the strongest possible defense in a Washington deposit dispute. Always do both, at move-in and again at move-out — and in Washington, remember the signed move-in checklist is a legal precondition to keeping any deposit at all.
How to Complete the Checklist
1. Complete the signed move-in checklist first
Before collecting any deposit, complete the written checklist with the tenant present and have both parties sign and date it. In Washington this signed move-in checklist is required by RCW 59.18.260, not optional, and the tenant must receive a copy.
2. Walk the unit room by room
With the other party present, walk every room and record the condition of each surface, appliance, and fixture. Do the move-in walk before the tenant brings in belongings, and the move-out walk after the unit is empty, so nothing hides damage.
3. Rate each item and write specific notes
Mark each item Good, Fair, Poor, or N/A, using the same checklist at move-in and move-out so the two records line up item for item. Describe any Poor-rated item by exact location — “three-inch hole in the north living-room wall near the outlet” beats “minor damage.”
4. Photograph everything
Take date-stamped photos of every room and a close-up of every Poor-rated item, ideally 50 to 75 shots in daylight. The written checklist plus photographs is the strongest defense in a deposit dispute.
5. Sign, deliver, and retain
Both parties sign the checklist and keep a copy. After move-out, deliver the deposit or a full and specific statement of deductions within 30 days under RCW 59.18.280, and retain the signed record and photos for at least four years.
Build Your Washington 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 walkthrough (which establishes the baseline condition and satisfies the RCW 59.18.260 signed-checklist requirement) and the move-out walkthrough (which documents the condition at the end of the tenancy). Conduct both walkthroughs with the tenant present whenever possible, and pair both with date-stamped photographs. If you are also placing a new renter, start with thorough tenant screening so the 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 section below and photograph it.
4. Photo Documentation
5. Signatures
Both parties should sign and retain a copy. Under RCW 59.18.260 the move-in checklist must be signed and dated by both the landlord and the tenant, and the tenant must receive a copy; a tenant signature acknowledges the accuracy of the inspection findings and is not a waiver of legal rights.
Move-In vs. Move-Out: Two Inspections, One Form
The move-in inspection and the move-out inspection are the same walkthrough performed at two different moments, and they only work as a pair. The move-in inspection establishes the baseline: it records exactly what condition the unit was in when the tenant took possession, so the tenant is never charged at the end for a scuff, stain, or worn carpet that was already there. In Washington the move-in checklist carries extra legal weight because RCW 59.18.260 makes it a precondition to holding a deposit in the first place. The move-out inspection records the condition at the end of the tenancy, and the deduction case is built entirely on the difference between the two records. If a wall was rated Good at move-in and Poor at move-out with a photo of a fresh hole, the landlord has a clean, provable claim. If there is no move-in record, the landlord cannot show the damage was new, and the deduction usually fails.
That is why using the same checklist an