Rental Move-In Inspection and Photo Checklist

This guide does not claim a universal Ontario statutory condition-report requirement for every tenancy. CMHC recommends a joint move-in inspection but notes that legal requirements vary by province and territory. Use any form supplied, document condition carefully and check the current Ontario rules for your housing type rather than importing a requirement from British Columbia or elsewhere.

Take them immediately after lawful possession begins and before movers, furniture, cleaning or repairs change the scene. If that timing is impossible, photograph each room before items enter it and disclose the sequence. Add a dated first-week addendum for defects revealed only through ordinary use; never replace or backdate the original baseline.

Invite the landlord or property manager because a joint walkthrough lets both parties observe the same surfaces and record exceptions together. If nobody attends, complete a prompt unilateral inspection, preferably with a witness, label it accurately and send the organized report. Do not state that the landlord approved a record merely because it was delivered.

Use enough to establish orientation and detail rather than chasing a fixed number. Take at least two wide views, a straight-on view of major surfaces and contextual close-ups of every issue. Include supplied fixtures and appliances. A hundred unexplained close-ups can be less useful than twenty well-labelled images linked to a room index.

Use both when practical. Photographs preserve detailed surfaces, while a slow narrated video can show room relationships and ordinary operation. Neither format is automatically decisive. Hold the camera steady, avoid fast pans, name each room and retain original files. Do not rely on a livestream or messaging copy as the only record.

Keep the originals untouched. You may create labelled copies or crops for communication, but do not alter colour, texture or content, and identify annotations as annotations. Preserve metadata and full resolution. If brightness must be adjusted for readability, retain the original beside the working copy so the recipient can assess the unmodified image.

Record both sides of the door, frame, threshold, weather stripping, peephole, latch and visible lock hardware. Test normal operation without forcing it. Count keys, fobs and remotes privately, and report gaps, looseness or failed access promptly. Never share key-cut patterns, access codes or credential barcodes in a general photo package.

Locate and photograph their position, then use only the manufacturer- or building-approved test-button method where appropriate. Ottawa Fire Services tells renters to test alarms monthly, report problems and avoid tampering. Never use flame or smoke, remove a battery to silence an alarm, or cover a device during unpacking. Treat an active emergency immediately.

Do not perform electrical work or open panels. Normal light and outlet operation can be observed safely, and a knowledgeable person may use an approved plug-in tester with permission, but that is not a full inspection. Scorching, exposed conductors, heat, smoke or sparking require stopping use and contacting appropriate qualified or emergency help.

Report an active leak immediately, move belongings away and follow the landlord’s emergency-maintenance process. Photograph the source area and resulting marks without touching unsafe electrical equipment or contaminated water. Do not dismantle plumbing or apply an improvised repair unless specifically authorized and qualified. Keep the time, ticket number and response in the inspection file.

Photograph the location from wide and close views, describe visible colour, area, moisture and odour without declaring the substance to be mould from appearance alone. Avoid scraping, bleaching or disturbing it. Notify the landlord in writing and request assessment. Keep vulnerable people away as appropriate and use emergency help if there is an immediate health danger.

No, not by the tenant unless the landlord directs a safe, qualified process. Photograph accessible exteriors, interiors, seals, racks, accessories and model information without moving heavy equipment. Operate only normal controls according to instructions. Pulling a range or refrigerator can damage floors, expose connections or create tip and electrical hazards.

Include counters, backsplash, sink, taps, cabinets, drawers, shelves, floors, exhaust and each supplied appliance. Note chips, swelling, grease, odour, pests, loose hardware and water marks. Pair a close-up with a room view, and report active leaks or failed appliances separately rather than burying them among cosmetic baseline photographs. Add precise locations to every exception.

Photograph the tub or shower, toilet, sink, vanity, mirror, floor, tiles, grout, caulking, fan and visible plumbing areas. Note cracks, staining, corrosion, loose fixtures, slow drainage and moisture. Do not stand on wet surfaces, probe soft materials or use harsh drain chemicals without authorization; request maintenance for anything unsafe or abnormal.

Take a contextual photograph of droppings, insects, traps, gnaw marks or residue without touching or sweeping it. Keep cartons and food away, notify management promptly and follow professional preparation instructions. Do not apply a pesticide or move a building trap on your own. Write down odour and exact location because photos may not capture them.

Include an initial reading when the meter is accessible, correctly identified and safe to view, and when the provider’s process calls for it. Never enter a restricted room or touch seals and switches. Use Hydro Ottawa or the applicable utility’s official move procedure, because a photograph does not by itself open the account or establish billing.

Send it promptly after possession, ideally once the initial walkthrough is complete and before much time or activity changes the unit. Urgent safety, security, water or essential-service problems should be reported immediately rather than waiting for the full package. Keep delivery evidence, then send one organized addendum for legitimate first-week discoveries.

Do not withhold rent on your own. The LTB maintenance brochure cautions tenants against withholding rent for repair problems and explains formal routes that may be available, including written requests, municipal enforcement and a T6 application. Continue lawful payments unless an order or qualified advice provides otherwise, and preserve every maintenance request and response.

Record the new condition immediately with before-and-after context, notify the landlord and moving company through their respective processes, and preserve original files. Do not repair or conceal the mark without authorization. Separate premises evidence from a damaged-belongings claim, even if one incident affected both, because the parties and contract questions differ.

Keep the complete package throughout the tenancy and until move-out accounts, repairs and any disputes are resolved, longer where legal advice recommends. Preserve signed forms, originals, reports, acknowledgements and work orders in a secure backup independent of the landlord’s portal. The record should remain readable by room and date years after the camera roll changes.