The Tenant Move-In Pack: A Checklist
What to give a new tenant before and on move-in day, and how to record that they received it, so the first day of the tenancy is also the first good record of it.
A move-in pack does two jobs. It gives the tenant what they need to live in the property without calling you every other day, and it gives you proof that they received every document and piece of information you were required to provide. The second job is the one that matters if the tenancy ends badly. Below is a checklist you can adapt; which items are legally required varies by jurisdiction, so check yours and mark those items as mandatory.
Documents to provide
- The signed tenancy agreement, a copy for every tenant named on it.
- Safety certificates and reports that apply to the property, current on the move-in date. See safety certificates and compliance records for keeping these in order.
- Deposit information: how much, where it is held, how it will be returned, and any scheme details your jurisdiction requires.
- The inventory and condition report, with photos, for the tenant to check and sign.
- Any official guidance your local rules require landlords to give tenants.
- Energy performance or similar ratings, where required.
Practical information
- How to pay rent: amount, due date, account details, and the reference to use.
- How to report repairs, and what counts as an emergency, with an out-of-hours number.
- Meter locations and the move-in readings, photographed.
- Where the stopcock, fuse box and gas shut-off are.
- Bin collection days and recycling rules.
- Instructions for appliances, heating and alarms.
- Who to contact for what: you, an agent, a building manager.
- Any building rules: parking, shared areas, noise, pets.
Keys and access
List every key, fob, card and remote handed over, with a count for each. Have the tenant sign the list. At the end of the tenancy you will compare against it, and "we only ever had two" is much harder to argue with a signed list in the file.
Prove receipt
Giving the documents is not enough; you need to show that you did. Options, from weakest to strongest:
- Handing them over in person with no record.
- Emailing them, keeping the sent message.
- Asking the tenant to sign a receipt listing every document and its version or date.
- Collecting a signed acknowledgement electronically, with the documents attached and a timestamp.
Aim for the third or fourth. The receipt should name each document individually, not "move-in pack". If a document was provided before move-in (some jurisdictions require certain items before the tenancy starts), record the date separately.
On the day
- Walk the property with the tenant and go through the inventory together.
- Take meter readings and photograph them.
- Test alarms in front of the tenant and record that you did.
- Collect the signed inventory, key list and receipt.
File it as one set
Keep the whole pack, the receipts and the move-in photos together with the tenancy record, dated. It is the baseline for everything that follows, including the eventual checkout described in the end-of-tenancy checklist. Screening documents collected earlier should be kept only as long as needed; see tenant screening records.
