Move-In and Move-Out Inspections in Alberta

Under Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), a move-in inspection is not optional -- it is a legal requirement. The inspection must be completed within one week before or at the very start of your tenancy. Both the landlord and tenant must be given the opportunity to participate, and both should sign the completed inspection report.

The purpose of the inspection is to create a documented baseline of the property's condition at the beginning of the tenancy. Without this record, it becomes nearly impossible to resolve disputes at move-out about what damage existed before you moved in versus what occurred during your stay.

Critically, the law rewards tenants who insist on completing this inspection -- and penalizes landlords who skip it. If your landlord refuses to conduct a move-in inspection or fails to provide you with a copy of the completed report, they lose the right to make any deductions from your security deposit for damage at move-out. This is one of the most powerful protections available to Alberta tenants under the RTA.

If your landlord is unresponsive about scheduling the inspection, send a written request via email or text so you have a dated record. If they still refuse, document that refusal -- it will be relevant if you ever need to file with the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS).

A thorough inspection covers every room and every surface. Do not rush through it. Use a printed or digital inspection form and go systematically through the unit. Here is what to check in each area:

• Entry / Hallway: Condition of door (lock, frame, finish), walls, flooring, light fixtures, closet doors and shelving.
• Living Room: Walls (scuffs, holes, paint condition), windows (glass, latches, screens), flooring (stains, scratches, tears), baseboards, electrical outlets, light fixtures.
• Kitchen: Appliances (stove, oven, fridge, dishwasher -- check inside each), countertops, cabinets (inside and outside), sink and faucet, exhaust fan, backsplash, flooring.
• Bedrooms: Walls, closets (rod, shelving, doors), windows, flooring, light fixtures, electrical outlets.
• Bathrooms: Toilet (flush, seat), sink, faucet, caulking around tub and shower, tiles and grout, exhaust fan, cabinet under sink, towel bars, flooring.
• Laundry Area: Washer and dryer condition (if included), hose connections, lint trap, flooring.
• Outdoor / Parking: Any assigned outdoor space, garage door operation, parking pad condition.

For each item, note its condition clearly: "Good," "Minor scuff on north wall," "Carpet stain near window," etc. Vague entries like "okay" are less useful than specific descriptions. The more detail you include, the harder it is to dispute later.

The written inspection report is your legal document, but photos and video are your evidence. A landlord who disputes the report will have a difficult time overcoming dated photographic evidence showing the property's condition on move-in day.

When taking photos, follow these practices to maximize their usefulness:

• Use date-stamped photos: Make sure your phone's camera embeds the date and time in the file metadata. Alternatively, photograph a newspaper or a piece of paper showing the date alongside the damage.
• Photograph every room: Take wide shots to establish context, then close-ups of any specific damage or pre-existing issues.
• Capture serial numbers: For appliances, photograph the serial number tags -- this helps confirm the appliance was already in the unit at move-in.
• Record a walkthrough video: A continuous video walking through every room, narrating what you see, is often more compelling than individual photos. Upload it to cloud storage immediately so it has a timestamped record.

Store your photos and video in multiple places -- cloud storage (Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive) and a local backup. Do not rely solely on your phone. After move-out, landlords have 10 days to return the deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions. Your documentation will be your primary tool if those deductions are disputed.

Both the landlord and tenant should sign the completed move-in inspection report. If your landlord provides a paper form, sign it and ask for a copy on the spot -- or photograph it before handing it back. If the inspection is done digitally, confirm that you receive a copy via email.

Under the RTA, you are entitled to a copy of the signed inspection report. If a landlord refuses to give you one, that is a red flag and a legal problem for them. A landlord who cannot produce a signed inspection report at move-out will find it very difficult to justify deposit deductions before an RTDRS adjudicator.

Keep your copy for the entire duration of your tenancy plus at least one year after move-out. RTDRS claims must typically be filed within two years of the dispute arising, so holding onto documentation protects you well beyond move-out day.

If you and the landlord disagree on the condition of a specific item during the move-in inspection, note the disagreement directly on the report before signing. Write "tenant disputes condition of [item] -- see attached photos" so the record is clear. A signed report with a noted dispute is better than an unsigned report.

At move-out, the same process repeats: the landlord and tenant walk through the property together and document its current condition. This report is then compared directly against the move-in report to determine what, if anything, changed during the tenancy.

You have the right to be present at the move-out inspection. If the landlord schedules it without you, object in writing immediately. Without your presence, the landlord's account of the property's condition is unchallenged, which puts you at a disadvantage if there is a dispute about deductions.

After move-out, the landlord has 10 days (from the date the tenancy ends, provided they have your forwarding address) to either return your full security deposit or provide a written statement explaining any deductions and return whatever remains. If they miss this deadline without providing a forwarding address issue, they may lose the right to make deductions at all.

If you disagree with deductions, write to the landlord first and explain your position. If the dispute is not resolved, file with the RTDRS. The filing fee is $75 for claims of $7,500 or less ($100 for larger claims), and hearings are conducted by phone or video. Bring both inspection reports, your photos and video, and any written communication with the landlord.

One of the most common sources of deposit disputes is disagreement over what counts as "damage" (which the landlord can charge for) versus "normal wear and tear" (which they cannot). The RTA is clear: a landlord cannot deduct from your security deposit for normal wear and tear, even if the lease says otherwise. Any lease clause that attempts to override this is unenforceable.

Here is how to distinguish the two:

• Normal wear and tear: Small nail holes from hanging pictures, minor scuffs on walls from furniture, faded or lightly worn paint, carpet wear from regular foot traffic, small scratches on hardwood floors from ordinary use, loose door handles from regular operation.
• Damage beyond normal wear: Large holes or gouges in walls, burns on carpet or countertops, broken windows or fixtures, pet stains or odors requiring professional remediation, mold resulting from tenant failure to ventilate, missing or broken appliance parts.

The length of tenancy is also a factor. A carpet that shows significant wear after a five-year tenancy is different from one showing the same wear after six months. RTDRS adjudicators consider the age and expected lifespan of the item, the length of tenancy, and the degree of deterioration when deciding what is reasonable to charge.

If a landlord deducts for repainting an entire room because of minor marks or faded paint, that is generally not recoverable as damage -- paint has an expected lifespan and routine fading is wear and tear. Significant crayon drawings, grease stains, or smoke damage are a different matter.