Rental inspection checklist
By Maya Ellison - updated
A rental inspection checklist records the condition of an occupied rental, room by room, at a routine visit during the lease. You walk the home with or without the tenant, mark each item, note what needs a repair and take photos. Download the CSV for Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers, or print the blank checklist with the rooms and items already listed.
Download the free rental inspection checklist
Enter your email to get the CSV and the printable copy. The CSV opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
The printable copy is blank, ready to fill in by hand or save as a PDF from your browser's print dialog. It is one portrait letter page with blank lines at the top for tenant, property, unit, inspection date, notice given on and inspected by, and 22 rows, 20 of them already listing the rooms and items to check, with columns for room, item, condition, action needed and notes.
A filled-in rental inspection checklist
Unit 1A at the Maple Street fourplex on September 10, 2026, six months into M. Chen's lease. Of the 20 items, 15 are in good condition, 3 are fair and 2 need repair. Three items get a repair, the torn window screen, the slow drip under the kitchen sink and a furnace service before winter, and 2 are marked to check again at the next visit.
| Room | Item | Condition | Action needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | Front door, lock and doorbell | Good | None | - |
| Entry | Keys and remotes | Good | None | Tenant has 2 door keys and 1 mailbox key |
| Living room | Walls and ceiling | Good | None | A few picture nail holes |
| Living room | Floors or carpet | Fair | Monitor | Wear path from the entry to the sofa |
| Living room | Windows, screens and blinds | Needs repair | Repair | Torn screen, right window |
| Living room | Lights, switches and outlets | Good | None | All work |
| Kitchen | Refrigerator | Good | None | - |
| Kitchen | Stove, oven and hood | Good | None | - |
| Kitchen | Dishwasher | Good | None | - |
| Kitchen | Sink, faucet and disposal | Needs repair | Repair | Slow drip at the trap under the sink |
| Kitchen | Cabinets and countertops | Good | None | - |
| Bathroom | Toilet | Good | None | - |
| Bathroom | Tub, shower and caulk | Fair | Monitor | Caulk lifting at one corner of the tub |
| Bathroom | Sink, vanity and mirror | Good | None | - |
| Bedroom 1 | Walls, closet and doors | Good | None | - |
| Bedroom 1 | Floors or carpet | Good | None | - |
| Bedroom 1 | Windows, screens and blinds | Good | None | - |
| Whole home | Smoke and CO alarms | Good | None | All tested; bedroom alarm battery replaced during the visit |
| Whole home | Heating and air conditioning | Fair | Repair | Furnace noisy when it starts; service booked before winter |
| Whole home | Water heater | Good | None | Installed 2019, no leaks |
When to use a rental inspection checklist
Use it for routine inspections while a tenant lives in the home, such as once or twice a year, and when you take over a property that already has tenants. Regular visits catch slow leaks, worn caulk and dead alarm batteries while they are small and cheap to fix.
The checklist lists the same rooms and items, in the same order, as the move-in and move-out checklists, so each inspection lines up with the condition on move-in day. Most states ask for advance notice before you enter an occupied rental, so send written notice first and record the date you gave it at the top of the sheet.
What a rental inspection checklist includes
- The tenant, property, unit and inspection date at the top.
- The date you gave notice of the visit, and who did the inspection.
- One line per item, grouped by room: entry, living room, kitchen, bathroom, each bedroom and the whole home.
- A condition for each item, such as good, fair or needs repair.
- The action each item needs: none, monitor at the next visit, or repair.
- A short note on anything less than good, with where it is and how big it is.
- Photo numbers, so each note points at the picture that shows it.
- Safety items: smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested on the day.
How to use this rental inspection checklist
The CSV holds a filled-in example for unit 1A at the invented Maple Street fourplex and blank rows for more items. The printable checklist lists the same 20 rooms and items, with two spare lines for anything your home adds.
- Send the tenant written notice of the date, time window and purpose of the inspection.
- Download the CSV or print the blank checklist, one copy per unit, and add lines for extra rooms or appliances.
- Walk the home room by room in the checklist's order, ideally with the tenant there to point out problems.
- Mark each item good, fair or needs repair, and describe anything less than good: what it is, where and how big.
- Take a dated photo of every note and write the photo number on its line.
- Set the action for each item, and turn every repair into a maintenance request with a date.
- Give the tenant a summary of the repairs you will make, and keep the checklist with the lease.
Common rental inspection mistakes
- Entering without notice. Send written notice first and keep a copy; the date goes at the top of the checklist.
- Inspecting so often that the visits become a burden for the tenant. Once or twice a year suits most homes.
- Writing "fine" on every line without looking. The checklist only helps if it records what you actually saw.
- Finding a repair and leaving it on the sheet. Give each repair a date and track it to completion.
- Using a different room list each time. The same list as the move-in checklist lets you compare visits line by line.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I inspect a rental property?
Many property owners inspect once or twice a year, plus a walk-through at move-in and move-out. Your lease may set how often, and some states limit how often you can enter, so check both before you set a schedule.
How much notice do I need to give before an inspection?
It depends on your state and your lease. Many states require 24 to 48 hours of notice before a routine entry. The notice of entry guide covers what to put in the notice and how to deliver it. Rules vary by state and city. Check your local law or an attorney.
What is the difference between a rental inspection and a move-in or move-out checklist?
The move-in and move-out checklists record the condition when a tenancy starts and ends. A rental inspection checks the home while the tenant lives there and notes what needs a repair. All three use the same rooms and items in the same order, so the condition on each line is easy to compare.
Can the tenant be there during the inspection?
Yes, and it often helps. A tenant who walks the home with you can point out problems you might miss, such as a drain that only backs up now and then.
Turn inspection findings into tracked repairs
In KeyRing, each repair becomes a maintenance request with photos, tracked from new to assigned, in progress and completed, and you can file the checklist to the property, unit, lease or tenant it belongs to. Your first subscription starts with a 14-day free trial.