North Carolina Move-In Checklist for Renters: What to Document on Day One

What the law says about your security deposit

North Carolina's security deposit rules are in N.C.G.S. §§ 42-50 to 42-56. When you pay a deposit, your landlord must tell you in writing where it is being held.

The law also caps how much deposit can be collected: two months of rent for a lease longer than month-to-month, one and a half months of rent for month-to-month, and two weeks of rent for week-to-week. (N.C.G.S. § 42-51.)

When your tenancy ends, your landlord must send you a written list of any deductions taken from your deposit. (N.C.G.S. § 42-52.) A dated record of the home's condition on day one gives you facts to compare against that list.

What your landlord must keep in working order

Under N.C.G.S. § 42-42, your landlord must keep the rental fit and habitable. That includes basic electrical, plumbing, and heating systems, and working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Writing down the condition of these systems on move-in day shows what already needed attention before you moved in — not after.

Log every area the day you get the keys

Open the Move-In Condition Logger and walk each area: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living area, entry or hallway, and exterior or balcony. Each area gets its own entry with a date, notes in your own words, and up to five photos.

Set the date yourself — the day you actually saw the condition. Dates, not memory, are what make a record strong.

Save the paperwork that came with the lease

Upload your lease, your deposit receipt, and the written notice saying where your deposit is held. Keep them in your Evidence library, linked to this record.

Write down how much deposit you paid and the day you paid it, so the amount is never a matter of memory.

Download a dated condition report any time

Any time you want, download a free Move-In Condition Report PDF: every area you documented, your notes, and photo thumbnails, with the dates you entered.