12 Photos to Take on Move-In Day (Your Cheapest Deposit Insurance)

You have keys, a truck outside, and a to-do list that does not include photography. Take ten minutes anyway. The photos you take before you carry in the first box are the only evidence you will ever have about the condition of this place on day one — and they are the difference between getting your deposit back and arguing about a scuff that was there before you arrived.

Free tool: Photos are one of the two paperwork items that decide who wins a deposit dispute. See how much that is worth to you with the free Security Deposit Calculator.

Here is the exact list, in the order that makes sense as you walk through, plus the spots that almost everyone skips.

Why photos beat the move-in checklist your landlord gave you

Most leases come with a condition report — a paper form with boxes to tick. Fill it out, absolutely. But understand its weakness: it is your word, in your handwriting, describing damage in general terms. “Small scuff, living room wall” is not the same as an image showing exactly how small, exactly which wall, and exactly when.

A timestamped photo is specific, hard to argue with, and it costs you nothing. When a deduction is disputed, the party with dated images almost always ends the conversation quickly.

The goal is not to prove you are a good tenant. It is to remove any question about what was already broken.

Before you start: two rules

1. Shoot wide, then close. A close-up of a crack proves a crack exists. It does not prove it is in your apartment. Always take one wide shot that shows the room, then step in for the detail. The pair is what makes it evidence.
2. Turn on every light and open the blinds. Dim photos hide exactly the kind of damage you are trying to document, and a landlord can reasonably say a shadow is not a stain.

The 12 photos, room by room

Living areas and bedrooms (photos 1–4)

1. A wide shot of each room from the doorway. Empty, before furniture. This is your baseline for everything else.
2. Every existing hole, scuff, dent or mark on the walls. Wide, then close. If you plan to hang anything later, this also documents which holes were not yours — worth reading alongside our guide to no-drill storage and hanging methods.
3. The floors, especially near doorways and under windows. Traffic paths, scratches, stains, worn edges and lifting vinyl all live here.
4. Window frames, sills and locks. Cracked panes, chipped paint, failing seals and windows that do not latch. Drafty windows are also a bill problem — see our notes on cutting your energy bill in a rental.

Kitchen (photos 5–7)

1. Inside every cabinet and drawer. Open them all. Water damage under the sink and shelf liner peeling in the back corners are classic move-out charges.
2. Countertops and the sink basin. Chips, burns, knife marks, hard-water staining and any separation where the counter meets the wall.
3. Inside every appliance. Oven, fridge shelves, dishwasher racks, washer drum. Appliance interiors are the single most commonly disputed area, because they are easy to photograph and easy to forget.

Number the list from 5 to 7 as you go — the order matters less than the coverage.

Bathroom (photos 8–9)

1. Grout and caulk lines, close up. Existing mildew, cracked caulk and missing grout are frequently charged to the last tenant.
2. The toilet base, tub floor and any tile chips. Also photograph the exhaust fan if it does not run — a non-working fan is a maintenance issue you want on record early, since trapped moisture creates problems you may be blamed for later.

The four spots almost every renter forgets (photos 10–12, plus one)

These are the ones that actually cost people money, because nobody thinks to document them and they are cheap for a landlord to charge for.

• Every light switch plate and outlet cover. Cracked plastic plates are billed per unit and are almost never noted on a move-in form.
• Closet interiors — rods, shelves and tracks. Sagging rods and bent sliding-door tracks are common pre-existing damage. If you are planning to add anything in there, our renter closet organization guide covers what is safe to install and remove.
• Blinds, slat by slat. Bent or missing slats are charged individually, and a single wide photo of a window rarely shows them clearly.
• Your day-one utility meter readings. Not damage, but the same principle: a photo of the meter the day you take possession ends any dispute about usage that predates you.

How to store them so they still count later

A photo on your phone with no verifiable date is weaker than you think, and phones get lost, wiped and replaced. Do this the same day:

1. Email the full set to yourself with the address and date in the subject line. The email server timestamp is independent of your phone and survives a device change.
2. Send a copy to your landlord or property manager with a short, neutral note: “Attaching move-in condition photos for the file.” You are not accusing anyone of anything — you are creating a shared record they acknowledged receiving.
3. Keep a backup in cloud storage in a folder named for the property. You will want these again in a year and you will not remember where they were.

If you have renters insurance, this same photo set doubles as your contents inventory for a claim — one job, two uses. It is worth taking a few extra shots of your own belongings while you are at it.

What to do if you already moved in

Take them now anyway. Photos from week three are far better than no photos at all, and most wear that gets disputed at move-out is cumulative rather than something that appeared on a specific date. Note honestly in your email that these were taken after move-in — being straightforward about the timing keeps the record credible.

If you are moving in with other people, agree early on who documents what and share the folder. The same logic applies to splitting responsibility generally, which we cover in our guide to roommate and subletting agreements.

Frequently asked questions

Do photos actually hold up if there is a dispute?

Dated photos are widely treated as strong supporting evidence in deposit disputes, including in small claims court. They are not a legal guarantee, and rules differ by state — but in practice, a clear before-and-after comparison resolves most disagreements before they escalate.

How many photos is too many?

There is no such thing. Twelve is the minimum that covers a standard one-bedroom. For a larger place, or one in visibly rough condition, forty is reasonable. Storage is free; deductions are not.

Should I take video instead?

Do both if you have time. A slow walkthrough video is excellent for showing overall condition and continuity, but still photos are easier to reference for a specific mark. Video plus stills is the strongest combination.

What if my landlord refuses to acknowledge the photos?

They do not need to. The point of sending them is that the message exists and was delivered — the record stands on its own whether or not anyone replies.

The short version

Ten minutes, twelve photos, one email to yourself. It is the highest-return thing a renter can do on move-in day, and the only one that gets harder to do the longer you wait. Do it before the boxes come in, while the rooms are still empty and the light is good.

These photos are the core of your evidence file if you ever need to dispute a deposit deduction.