Property Inspections Docs/Checklist

Tamara KilgorePro Member

Member since 2023 · 15 posts · 8 votes

I am looking for annual property inspection documents. Does anyone have documents you are willing to share?

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Abel CurielBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Queens, NY · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

2mo

Good morning @Tamara Kilgore

This Google Drive folder has dozens of checklists, disclosures, notices, addenda, and more, including a property inspection checklist (attached).

Feel free to reach out if you have any issues accessing the drive link.

FYI, these documents are directly from BiggerPockets' Book on Managing Rental Property.

All the best!

Abel

REbuild Team - eXp Realty5234 Reviews

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Abel CurielBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Queens, NY · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
2mo
Good morning @Tamara Kilgore
This Google Drive folder has dozens of checklists, disclosures, notices, addenda, and more, including a property inspection checklist (attached).
Feel free to reach out if you have any issues accessing the drive link.

FYI, these documents are directly from BiggerPockets' Book on Managing Rental Property.
All the best!
Abel
REbuild Team - eXp Realty5234 Reviews
Website View Page
1 Reply
- Tamara KilgorePro Member
  OP
  Member since 2023 · 15 posts · 8 votes
  2mo
  Quote from @Abel Curiel:
  
  Good morning @Tamara Kilgore
  This Google Drive folder has dozens of checklists, disclosures, notices, addenda, and more, including a property inspection checklist (attached).
  Feel free to reach out if you have any issues accessing the drive link.
  
  FYI, these documents are directly from BiggerPockets' Book on Managing Rental Property.
  All the best!
  Abel
  Thank you for the resource link.
  1 Reply
Janice Carter
Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 606 votes
2mo
@Tamara Kilgore You can use AI to create a customized annual property inspection checklist based on your property type and inspection needs.
0 Reply
- Tamara KilgorePro Member
  OP
  Member since 2023 · 15 posts · 8 votes
  2mo
  Quote from @Janice Carter:
  
  @Tamara Kilgore You can use AI to create a customized annual property inspection checklist based on your property type and inspection needs.
  
  Thank you for your suggestion.
  0 Reply
Rachid AbadliBusiness Member
Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2024 · 129 posts · 36 votes
2mo
@Tamara Kilgore — here's the framework I use for inspections. Forget generic checklists — the point of inspection documentation is creating a defensible record, not checking boxes.

Move-in / Move-out (most critical):
- Room-by-room photo walkthrough with timestamps (phone camera metadata is your friend)
- Document every wall, floor, appliance, fixture, window, and door
- Note existing damage in writing on the checklist — "normal wear" is not a note. "3-inch scuff on east wall behind door" is a note.
- Tenant signs and dates the checklist. You both keep a copy.
- Do the exact same walkthrough at move-out, same order, same rooms.
Why this matters: Most security deposit disputes come down to "was this here when I moved in?" If you can pull up timestamped photos from move-in day and compare them to move-out photos, the conversation is over. Without that, you're in a he-said-she-said that you'll probably lose.

Annual inspections:
- 30 days written notice (check your state — MO requires "reasonable notice," typically 24 hours, but I'd give more)
- Focus on safety items: smoke detectors, CO detectors, water heater, HVAC filters, exterior drainage, visible mold, pest evidence
- Document deferred maintenance before it becomes an emergency — a small roof leak in an inspection is a $500 fix. The same leak discovered when the tenant calls about water damage is a $5,000 fix.
- Photo everything, even things that look fine. You're building a timeline.
The tool side: I track all of this in LeaseBase — move-in/move-out documentation, photo attachments, inspection schedules, and the full paper trail. Free to use if you want a system instead of a folder of PDFs. But the process matters more than the tool — start with the room-by-room photo walkthrough and the signed checklist, and you're ahead of 90% of landlords.
LeaseBase.ai
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- Tamara KilgorePro Member
  OP
  Member since 2023 · 15 posts · 8 votes
  2mo
  Quote from @Rachid Abadli:
  
  @Tamara Kilgore — here's the framework I use for inspections. Forget generic checklists — the point of inspection documentation is creating a defensible record, not checking boxes.
  
  Move-in / Move-out (most critical):
  
  Room-by-room photo walkthrough with timestamps (phone camera metadata is your friend)
  
  Document every wall, floor, appliance, fixture, window, and door
  
  Note existing damage in writing on the checklist — "normal wear" is not a note. "3-inch scuff on east wall behind door" is a note.
  
  Tenant signs and dates the checklist. You both keep a copy.
  
  Do the exact same walkthrough at move-out, same order, same rooms.
  
  Why this matters: Most security deposit disputes come down to "was this here when I moved in?" If you can pull up timestamped photos from move-in day and compare them to move-out photos, the conversation is over. Without that, you're in a he-said-she-said that you'll probably lose.
  
  Annual inspections:
  
  30 days written notice (check your state — MO requires "reasonable notice," typically 24 hours, but I'd give more)
  
  Focus on safety items: smoke detectors, CO detectors, water heater, HVAC filters, exterior drainage, visible mold, pest evidence
  
  Document deferred maintenance before it becomes an emergency — a small roof leak in an inspection is a $500 fix. The same leak discovered when the tenant calls about water damage is a $5,000 fix.
  
  Photo everything, even things that look fine. You're building a timeline.
  
  The tool side: I track all of this in LeaseBase — move-in/move-out documentation, photo attachments, inspection schedules, and the full paper trail. Free to use if you want a system instead of a folder of PDFs. But the process matters more than the tool — start with the room-by-room photo walkthrough and the signed checklist, and you're ahead of 90% of landlords.
  Thank you for the highly valuable insights and protocols. I am using RentRedi's PM software, so I'll check my software for a similar component.
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Patrick O'SullivanBusiness Member
Property Manager · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2024 · 534 posts · 205 votes
2mo
One thing I'd add is to keep the same inspection form every year. It makes it much easier to compare changes over time instead of starting from scratch each visit. We also use a 360° camera during our inspections. It lets us capture every room from a single spot, making it much easier to compare conditions over time and giving us a more complete record than standard photos.
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