DwellStamp
DwellStampBefore moving in

Before moving in

Document the empty apartment before details disappear.

Use this six-step capture order before boxes, rugs, and furniture cover the original condition.

Updated July 27, 2026Six-step capture planFor US renters

Action plan

A repeatable move-in documentation sequence

Follow the order once through the apartment. Then use the full interactive checklist to catch room-specific omissions.

Open the full checklist
01

Read the required process

Find the landlord’s form, return deadline, delivery method, and maintenance contact before taking photos.

02

Start before moving items inside

Capture floors, walls, doors, windows, cabinets, appliances, and fixtures while they are still visible.

03

Take wide room views

Photograph each room from multiple corners so later close-ups have clear location context.

04

Add medium and close-up views

For each existing issue, show both where it is and enough detail to see the condition.

05

Write the note immediately

Name the room, exact surface, location, visible condition, and approximate size without guessing at cause.

06

Export, send, and preserve

Keep the report and related media together, follow the required delivery method, and save delivery confirmation.

Detailed guidance

When should you document an apartment before moving in?

Short answer

Document the apartment as soon as your lease and access allow, ideally before belongings cover surfaces. Complete any required landlord form and observe its deadline. A personal photo report is most useful when it supplements the required process, uses consistent room names, and is sent or preserved near move-in.

Begin with safety. Do not enter restricted areas or touch exposed wiring, unstable materials, mold-like growth, or another possible hazard just to obtain a better photo. Use the landlord's urgent maintenance channel for conditions requiring attention.

What should you capture in every room?

  • Several wide views showing the whole room
  • Walls, ceiling, flooring, baseboards, doors, and windows
  • Closets, cabinets, drawers, shelves, and supplied furniture
  • Fixtures and appliance exteriors and interiors where safe
  • One medium and one close-up photo for every visible issue
  • Provided keys, fobs, remotes, and listed move-in items

The interactive move-in inspection checklist provides room-specific prompts and can be printed or saved as a PDF without creating an account.

How should move-in notes be written?

Write observable details: room, surface, exact location, condition, and approximate extent. Avoid legal conclusions or assumptions about cause. “Three small nail holes on north living room wall above outlet” is clearer than “wall damaged.”

If you record notes in Chinese for speed, DwellStamp can preserve the original text and, on supported iOS versions, create an English report note through Apple's on-device translation. Machine translation can be inaccurate, so review important text.

How should the documentation be sent and preserved?

Follow the lease, landlord form, and applicable local process. Keep the completed form, readable report, related photo archive, sent message, and delivery confirmation. Store a second exported copy somewhere you control. A photo or hash does not independently prove date, location, identity, or legal effect.

Requirements vary by location. Use USAGov's state tenant-rights links to find official local information.

Turn the capture into a readable report

Connect each room note to the photos another person will need to review.

Open the report template