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Free move-in checklist template
Most deposit disputes are decided by what you wrote down on move-in day. The kit records the unit's condition room by room, gives the tenant a proper deposit receipt, and gets their signature on every document you handed over.
The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Pages. The printable PDF has blank lines to fill in by hand.
What's inside
- Move-in disclosure checklist: what Chicago, Illinois and federal law ask you to give a new tenant, who each rule applies to, and when it's due.
- Security deposit receipt: amount, date, unit and signature, plus where the deposit is held.
- Owner, manager and building disclosures: owner or manager contacts, City code violations from the last 12 months, pending code cases and utility shutoff notices.
- Move-in inspection checklist: room by room, with photo numbers and notes on existing wear. It lines up with the move-out checklist in our security deposit return kit.
- Handoff and receipt of documents: keys, rekeyed locks, a working-alarm check, and a list of documents the tenant signs for.
How to run a move-in that holds up later
- Walk the unit together. Fill in the checklist room by room and write down existing wear, even small things.
- Take dated photos. Number them and put the numbers on the checklist, so each note points to a picture.
- Both sign, both keep a copy. Give the tenant a few days to add anything they find after moving in.
- Get a signature for the paperwork. The handoff page records which disclosures and brochures the tenant received, so you're not relying on memory later.
No Illinois law requires a move-in checklist, but it's the best evidence you'll have when a tenant moves out and you're deciding what's damage and what's normal wear and tear.
In Chicago?
Chicago landlords have a list of things to hand over before or at move-in: the City's RLTO summary, owner and manager contacts, code violation disclosures, a bed bug brochure, a signed deposit receipt, and more. Read our plain-English guide to what Chicago landlords must give tenants at move-in.
More free tools: the rent ledger kit, the late rent notice kit and the rent increase letter kit.
Want every lease to start with a complete file?
Landlord's Desk keeps each tenant's lease, deposit, disclosures and documents together. You approve every change before it goes out. Founding members get up to 60 days free, then 30% off their first year.
These templates are provided as-is and are not legal advice. Move-in rules vary by city and state and change over time. Check the rules where your property is, or talk to a local attorney. Sources: Chicago Municipal Code ch. 5-12 and 5-16; 40 CFR 745; 420 ILCS 46; 425 ILCS 60; 430 ILCS 135; 765 ILCS 705 and 735.