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Move-Out to Statement Checklist

A step-by-step checklist that carries a landlord from the tenant's notice to a delivered, documented security deposit statement that meets the state deadline.

Download the checklist (.txt)

Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.

Most deposit statements that fail in a dispute do not fail because the landlord was wrong about the damage. They fail because the move-in photos were never taken, the deadline was counted from the wrong day, an old carpet was charged at full price, or the statement went out with no proof of delivery. Every one of those problems is a process problem, and a process problem is fixed with a fixed order of operations rather than a better memory. This checklist is that order of operations, and it is meant to be run the same way for every unit and every tenant.

Start it the day the tenant gives notice and keep it in the unit folder until the statement is filed. The lines follow the sequence in our pillar guide: gather the baseline, inspect and document, decide what is deductible, price each line fairly, write the statement, deliver it with a record, and archive the packet. Where a line does not apply to your property, cross it out rather than skipping it so you can show later that it was considered. State rules on deadlines, cleaning charges, and interest vary, so confirm your state's requirements before relying on any general checklist, including this one. Our Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator at /tools/deposit-refund-statement-calculator/ can do the final math once the lines are settled.

  • Locate the signed move-in condition report and the dated move-in photos for this unit before the tenant leaves, and note anything missing so you know where your evidence is thin.
  • Confirm the date the tenancy legally ends and write it at the top of the unit folder, since most state deadlines count from that date rather than from the walkthrough.
  • Look up your state's return deadline and enter a calendar reminder at least a week before it, plus a second reminder the day before.
  • Request a forwarding address from the tenant in writing and record the date of the request, in case the tenant never supplies one.
  • Check whether your state requires a pre-move-out inspection notice or gives the tenant a right to attend the walkthrough, and send any required notice on time.
  • Walk the unit after the tenant's belongings are out, and photograph every room, closet, appliance, floor, and wall, keeping the date in the file names or metadata.
  • Compare each move-out photo against the matching move-in photo and list only the changes, room by room, in a single working document.
  • Sort every listed change into normal wear and tear or actual damage, and remove the wear-and-tear items from consideration before pricing anything.
  • Pull the lease and mark the clause behind every non-damage charge you intend to make, such as unpaid utilities, early termination fees, or abandoned property removal.
  • Pull the rent ledger and confirm any unpaid rent or late fees with the dates each amount came due and any partial payments received.
  • Obtain a written estimate, invoice, or receipt for every repair or cleaning charge, no matter how small the amount.
  • Record the purchase date or installed age of any carpet, paint, blinds, flooring, or appliance you plan to charge for replacing.
  • Prorate every replacement charge by the item's age and typical useful life instead of charging the full new price, and keep the calculation with the file.
  • Check your state's rules on cleaning charges, repainting, and charging for your own labor before adding any of those lines to the statement.
  • Add any interest the deposit earned if your state, city, or lease requires it to be credited to the tenant.
  • Write each deduction as a single line with four parts: what was done, why the tenant is responsible, the amount, and the evidence reference.
  • Show the arithmetic on the statement itself: deposit held, plus any interest, minus each deduction, equals the balance refunded or the balance owed.
  • Read the finished statement as if you were the tenant and rewrite any line that cannot be verified from the attached photos, receipts, or ledger.
  • Attach or offer copies of the supporting evidence with the statement so the tenant does not have to ask for it.
  • Deliver the statement and any refund by a method that produces a delivery record, such as tracked mail, and keep the tracking number with the file.
  • If the refund is by check, record the check number, amount, and mailing date on your copy of the statement.
  • Log the delivery date in the unit folder so you can prove the deadline was met if the tenant later disputes it.
  • Archive the statement, all photos, receipts, estimates, the depreciation calculations, and the proof of delivery together for at least as long as your state's limitation period for tenant claims.
  • Note any tenant response and the date it arrived, and reply in writing with evidence rather than by phone so the record stays complete.
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