Move through the property in one direction to reduce skipped rooms and duplicate photos.
Rental inspection guide
Run a room-by-room inspection someone else can follow.
Use a repeatable path, pair wide photos with useful close-ups, and attach short factual notes to the room or item they describe.
Updated · Reviewed by the Vellumstead Labs product team.
Use one room view, then close-ups for a fixture, surface, appliance, or visible issue.
Check room names, dates, photo purpose, notes, and any areas you could not access.
A practical inspection sequence
Capture enough context to make each observation understandable.
A rental inspection is easier to review when each room follows the same order. The goal is not maximum photo count; it is a coherent record of what was visible at that time.
Record the property, report type, and date.
Confirm the property name or address, whether this is move-in or move-out, and the date that matches the walkthrough. Note any occupied or inaccessible area instead of silently omitting it.
Choose an outside-to-inside or clockwise route.
Start at the entry, move through each room once, and finish with exterior, storage, parking, keys, or shared access. A consistent route makes gaps easier to spot.
Take one orientation photo, then targeted close-ups.
Photograph the room from a doorway or corner. Follow with specific images of doors, walls, floors, windows, fixtures, appliances, furnishings, and any visible detail worth recording.
Keep identifiers and scale in frame where useful.
Include appliance labels, meter displays, serial information, or a wider surface edge when it helps locate or size the observation. Do not include unrelated personal information.
Attach the note to the narrowest useful item.
Prefer “two-inch scrape on lower cabinet door beside sink” over “kitchen damaged.” Describe location and appearance; avoid guessing cause or responsibility.
Review coverage and export a readable copy.
Look for unnamed rooms, photos without context, items missing a condition, and clipped or duplicate images. Verify the PDF before sharing and keep a copy outside the app.
Factual note examples
- Surface
- “Circular stain near the center of the living-room carpet, approximately eight inches across.”
- Fixture
- “Bathroom sink faucet drips after both handles are closed.”
- Access
- “Hall storage closet was locked and not inspected during this walkthrough.”
Keep inspection statements neutral.
A photo report records observations. It does not establish when a condition began, who caused it, whether it violates a lease, or what remedy applies.
What belongs in the report
Include details that help identify place, condition, and time.
A useful inspection record is selective. Capture the stable room structure and the details that might otherwise be difficult to describe later.
- Room overviews and entry points
- Floors, walls, ceilings, windows, and doors
- Fixtures, appliances, included furnishings, and keys
- Visible marks, leaks, missing pieces, or access limits
From walkthrough to PDF
Keep rooms, items, photos, and notes in one local report.
PlaceLedger guides the inspection structure and lets you inspect the PDF before you share it.
