Ontario Move-In Inspections: A Shared Condition Record

Agree the purpose and arrange lawful access

Invite the tenant to participate when practical and explain what will be recorded. This is a useful management practice, not a claim that the RTA imposes another province’s mandatory joint-inspection or damage-deposit scheme.

If the tenancy has begun, follow the applicable entry rules or obtain consent at the time of entry. A planned appointment or repair request is not automatically permission for any unannounced visit.

Prepare the unit identifiers, date, participants and a room-by-room form. Include a way to mark an item untested or inaccessible instead of treating every blank as “good.”

Describe condition and capture relevant context

Record walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, fixtures, appliances and included furnishings. Note existing scratches, chips, stains or damage in plain language, with location and extent. Avoid a vague “satisfactory” rating that hides known issues.

Before taking interior photographs of an occupied rental unit, explain the purpose, intended use and disclosure, and obtain the tenant’s consent. A valid entry notice is not consent to photograph personal information. Any claimed statutory exception requires a specific legal basis. Use clear photographs where useful: a room view for location and a closer view for a defect. Retain original files and label them consistently. A timestamp helps organize the record but does not make evidence undisputable.

Respect personal information if belongings are already present. Explain the collection purpose and avoid unnecessary images of people, documents or private possessions. A condition photograph is not automatically available for marketing.

Record comments and carry repairs forward

Let the tenant add comments or identify omissions. Explain what any signature acknowledges; it does not waive repair rights or prevent later disagreement. If a person does not sign, record that fact without inventing agreement.

Provide a copy and retain the original version. Put unresolved work in a separate action list with responsibility and follow-up, rather than leaving it as a permanent note on the move-in report.

At move-out, compare the same items while considering ordinary wear, prior condition and evidence of cause. Any qualifying damage claim follows its own process. Neither photographs nor a signed report turn the rent deposit into money for repairs.

Include a preferred date and time

Discuss property management

Describe the property type and the management responsibilities you want to discuss.

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