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Tenant move-in checklist and welcome letter: what to give a new tenant on day one

The first day of a tenancy sets the tone for the next few years, and the move-in inspection is the record you'll rely on when the tenant moves out. Here's a step-by-step move-in checklist for landlords, what to put in a welcome letter, and a few rules from the US and Canada that make the paperwork more than a courtesy.

Updated October 20, 2026 · by Tidy Landlord

Before move-in day

Signed lease, copies handed over: give the tenant their copy of the signed lease. Some places set a deadline: in Ontario it's within 21 days after the tenant signs and gives it to you (Residential Tenancies Act, s. 12), and in Quebec it's within 10 days of making the lease, on the mandatory form (Civil Code art. 1895).
Required notices: check what your state, province or city requires you to give at the start of a tenancy. Ontario, for example, requires most new leases to use the standard form lease (s. 12.1).
Clean, working and safe: test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, every appliance, faucets, the furnace and the locks. Fix what you find before the inspection, not after.
Keys: rekey or change the locks between tenants. In British Columbia, the landlord must do so at the new tenant's request and pay for it, unless it was already done when the last tenant left (Residential Tenancy Act, s. 25).
Utilities: decide which accounts the tenant must open and by what date, and take final meter readings for the ones that switch over.

The move-in inspection

Walk through the unit together, room by room, and write down the condition of walls, floors, windows, fixtures and appliances, including existing damage. Take dated photos or a video of each room. Both of you sign and date the report, and the tenant gets a copy. In some places this isn't optional:

Washington: a landlord can't collect a deposit unless the lease is in writing and the tenant gets a written checklist describing the condition, cleanliness and existing damage at the start of the tenancy, signed and dated by both. A landlord who collects a deposit without one is liable to the tenant for the deposit (RCW 59.18.260).
British Columbia: landlord and tenant must inspect together on the day the tenant gets possession or another agreed day; the landlord must offer at least 2 opportunities, complete a condition inspection report, and give the tenant a signed copy. A landlord who doesn't loses the right to claim against the deposit for damage (Residential Tenancy Act, ss. 23 and 24).

Even where no law requires it, a signed report and photos are the evidence you'll need if you ever make a deduction from a deposit, or a claim where deposits aren't allowed, as in Quebec.

What to put in the welcome letter

A one- or two-page welcome letter answers the questions every new tenant asks in the first month, so they don't text you at 11 p.m. to ask them:

Who to contact: your name and address for notices, phone and email, and who to call for emergencies after hours.
Rent: amount, due date, how to pay, and what happens if a payment is late, matching the lease.
Repairs: how to ask for one, what counts as an emergency, and how you'll give notice before entering the unit.
Emergencies: where the water shut-off, electrical panel and gas shut-off are, and what to do in a leak, fire or power cut.
Utilities and services: which accounts are theirs, plus trash and recycling days, parking, laundry, mail and storage.
House rules: only the ones that are already in the lease or building rules; the letter explains them, it doesn't add new ones.
Move-out preview: how much notice to give, how the move-out inspection works, and how and when the deposit is returned where one is held.

Move-in day checklist

Inspection done, report signed by both of you, copy given to the tenant
Photos or video saved with the date, and backed up
Keys, fobs, remotes and mailbox keys handed over and logged
Meter readings recorded for any utility that changes hands
Welcome letter and emergency information given
Deposit and first rent recorded, with a receipt where needed. In British Columbia a receipt is required for rent paid in cash (s. 26)
Tenant's contact details and emergency contact added to your records

Keep the paperwork

Keep the lease, the signed inspection report, the photos and the deposit record together for the whole tenancy and for some time after it ends. You'll compare them with the move-out inspection, and they back up any deduction or claim. Any money you spend getting the unit ready, such as cleaning, repairs and rekeying, is also a record for your taxes.

Frequently asked questions

Is a move-in inspection required by law?

It depends on where the rental is. Washington requires a signed written checklist before a landlord can collect a deposit, and British Columbia requires a joint condition inspection and report. Many other places don't require one, but it's still the best evidence of the unit's condition at the start.

What should a tenant welcome letter include?

Your contact details and emergency contacts, how and when to pay rent, how to request repairs, where the shut-offs are, which utilities the tenant sets up, trash and parking information, and a short preview of the move-out process.

Should I take photos at move-in?

Yes. Dated photos or video of every room, together with a report signed by you and the tenant, are what you'll compare against at move-out.

Do I have to change the locks for a new tenant?

It's good practice everywhere. In British Columbia, the landlord must rekey or change the locks at the new tenant's request and pay for it, unless it was already done at the end of the previous tenancy.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Landlord-tenant, human-rights and privacy rules differ by state, province and city and change over time. Check the official sources linked above and the rules where your rental is, and consult a lawyer or your local housing authority if you're unsure.

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