Ontario Move-In Inspection: From Handover to Follow-Up

Prepare the handover before the appointment

Confirm the unit, included areas, possession arrangements and the contact for repair requests. Identify work already known to be outstanding so it is not concealed by an otherwise positive checklist.

Arrange lawful access and offer the tenant an opportunity to take part when practical. Do not tell the tenant that Ontario imposes a general pre-inspection requirement copied from a different province’s deposit system.

Prepare separate records for keys issued and any permitted refundable key deposit. The rent deposit remains for the final rent period; an inspection cannot turn it into damage security.

Walk through the unit and document limitations

Follow a route through each room and included space. Note existing condition, what was checked, and what was not accessible or not tested. Describe defects by item and location instead of using one overall “good condition” declaration.

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. Choose photographs that explain the record. There is no universal requirement to take 40–60 photographs of a two-bedroom unit. Keep originals and use consistent labels, but do not describe a timestamp as virtually undisputable evidence.

Allow the tenant to identify different observations. Explain any signature as acknowledgement of the stated record, including comments, rather than a waiver of future claims or proof that hidden conditions do not exist.

Finish the handover with clear next steps

Give the tenant the condition record and repair-reporting contact. List remaining work, the person coordinating it and the next update. Avoid promising a completion date that has not been confirmed with the people doing the work.

If the tenant later identifies an omission, keep the original report and append the dated information. Investigate repairs on their merits instead of rejecting them simply because the move-in form was signed.

At the end of the tenancy, before-and-after photographs are one part of the evidence. Responsibility and reasonable costs still need assessment, including ordinary wear and prior condition. Confirm any manager’s handover and follow-up duties in the service agreement.

Include a preferred date and time

Discuss property management

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

Prefer to send the details first? Request a quote or call (519) 501-5003.