The Move-In Condition Report has to work in an empty home, on move-in day, while the day is moving around you. It was built accordingly — a fillable PDF you can tap-type on your phone as you walk from room to room, flat PDFs for a printed walk-through, and a spreadsheet that keeps the condition, damage, and systems logs together. No special software and no subscription. This guide covers what opens each file, which device fits each moment, and an honest comparison with the default system most renters use: loose phone photos and a form filled in later.
The download contains five files: a flat printable PDF in US Letter, the same kit in A4, an ink-friendly black-and-white US Letter PDF, a fillable PDF with 90 tap-type fields, and a condition log spreadsheet in .xlsx format. A black-and-white A4 version is offered as a bonus through the thank-you message. It is an instant download — nothing ships.
For PDFs, free Adobe Acrobat Reader is the dependable default, particularly for the fillable version, because it fills and saves form fields consistently on iPhone, Android, tablet, and desktop. On iPhone and iPad, Apple Files and Preview open the flat PDFs for reading and markup — handy for checking a room page before you walk in. On Android, Acrobat Reader or the built-in viewer covers viewing and filling. On Windows and Mac, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari open the PDFs in the browser, but Acrobat Reader is the safer choice for the copy you need to save and deliver the same day. Your phone’s camera is the other essential tool: shoot wide shots and close-ups with a coin for scale, and keep the timestamps on.
The condition log opens in Microsoft Excel and in Google Sheets — Sheets is free with a Google account and keeps the log reachable from the phone during the walk and the computer afterward. The workbook contains a condition log with a good-condition count — the demo rows show 3 areas logged and 2 marked good; replace them with yours — plus a damage close-up log and a systems log. Free LibreOffice Calc opens the .xlsx file too. A practical routine: finish the logs the same evening, while the photos and the rooms are still fresh in your mind.
On devices: a phone is the walk-through tool — form, camera, and notes in one hand. A tablet gives you a larger view when you review the close-ups and match each one to its log line. A desktop or laptop is best for assembling the complete copy you deliver, printing a paper backup, and storing the file in a second place. For printing, any standard printer works — use the US Letter or A4 file to match your paper, and the black-and-white version to keep everyday printing cheap.
Pairings strengthen a record that may be read months later. Inside DealShore, the Rent Ledger & Payment History Tracker keeps the money side of the same tenancy sourced and in order. The Tenant Maintenance Request Tracker continues the paper trail after move-in, logging every repair request in writing. The Tenant “Fight My Deposit” Rebuttal Kit is the pair for move-out, if a deduction is disputed. At home, the report pairs with one folder — digital or paper — per tenancy, so the report, the photos, and the delivery proof stay together. [Affiliate slot: document scanner app for lease and walk-through paperwork] [Affiliate slot: portable photo printer or dated photo organizer for move-in evidence]
Against the alternatives, honestly: phone photos alone are free and fast, and you should take them either way — but on their own they carry no room-by-room words, no tested systems check, and no delivery record, and months later an unnamed photo proves very little. A landlord’s own move-in form is worth completing and keeping, but it is written from the other side of the table; this kit is your own record, in your own words, delivered the same day. Writing your own checklist from scratch is doable — the pieces usually missed are the photo protocol, the close-up log tied to photo numbers, and the move-out comparison starter. This kit’s value is that complete chain. Its limit is plain: it documents the condition you saw; it states no deposit law or deduction rule and decides nothing about a deposit.
This report is a general documentation tool you complete from your own walk-through. It is not legal advice, consult an attorney about your situation.
Get the Move-In Condition Report here:
Get it on DealShore: https://dealshore.com/move-in-condition-report/
Get it on Etsy: https://dealshore.etsy.com
Get free sample pages + new kit alerts — email contact@dealshore.com