Move In Checklist Landlord Guide for Shared Homes

This move in checklist landlord guide keeps move-in day calm, protects your property and gives your tenant a fair record of the room. Walk through the room with the tenant, write down what you both see, and get the report done fast. Virginia law gives you a short window for this, so build it into your routine.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current Virginia law or ask an attorney about your own situation.

Why a move in checklist landlord guide matters

A room looks fine on the day a tenant arrives. Months later, nobody remembers whether the scratch on the dresser was there. A written report settles that question for both of you.

In a shared home, the checklist also sets the tone. Tenants see that you run the house carefully, that rules are written down and that you treat everyone the same way.

If you want the whole host process first, read how to rent rooms in your house on CoRent. Then use this list for move-in day.

The Virginia move-in report

Virginia's landlord-tenant law covers a move-in inspection report. Under Virginia Code section 55.1-1214, the landlord must, within five days after occupancy of a dwelling unit, submit a written report that itemizes existing damages. The report is deemed correct unless the tenant objects in writing within five days after receiving it.

The law also lets a landlord adopt a written policy that has the tenant prepare the report, or one where both parties prepare it together and each signs and gets a copy.

Read the section yourself for the exact wording, and ask a Virginia attorney how it applies to a room in a shared home. Do the report on move-in day instead of waiting out the window.

Before the tenant arrives

Do these steps while the room is empty.

1. Clean the room and the shared spaces the tenant will use.
2. Test the lock on the bedroom door and the exterior doors.
3. Test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed.
4. Check lights, outlets, windows and the heating and cooling.
5. Confirm the furniture listed in your CoRent listing is actually in the room.
6. Take dated photos of each wall, the floor, the furniture and any existing damage.

The photos are your record. Keep them in a folder you can find later. Do not show a street address in anything you post online. On CoRent, listings show the city and ZIP only, and the street address is shared after a booking is confirmed.

On move-in day

Meet the tenant at the house and go through the room together.

• Walk the room with the written report in hand and note anything damaged or worn.
• Hand over keys and show how the locks work.
• Show the shared spaces: kitchen, bathrooms, laundry and any storage.
• Explain the house rules. If you have not written them, read house rules for renters.
• Explain how shared utilities work if your house has them. On CoRent, utilities can be shared and paid in the app on top of rent.
• Tell the tenant who to contact for repairs and how.

Then both of you sign the report and each keeps a copy. Photos from move-in day go in the same folder as the report.

Documents to have ready

Keep a simple move-in packet and treat every tenant the same.

• The lease or rental agreement
• The signed move-in report
• The house rules
• Key and lock information
• Your repair contact and the process for requests

Fair housing applies to every step, including who you give the packet to and how you explain the rules. The HUD fair housing page explains the basics. Use the same written checklist for everyone.

Renters on CoRent verify their ID once, with a government ID and a selfie match, and a host never sees the ID or selfie. You do not need to ask a tenant for it on move-in day.

After move-in

A short follow-up makes a big difference.

1. Check in within the first week and ask whether anything is wrong.
2. Fix small problems right away.
3. File the signed report and the photos together.
4. Put a reminder on your calendar for the five-day report window.

Those few steps catch most disputes before they start. When you are ready to fill a room, create a free host account. Hosts list free and keep 95% of rent after the 5% platform fee on rent collected. See CoRent fees for details.

A note on shared spaces

In a shared home, move-in day covers more than one bedroom. Show the new tenant the kitchen, the bathrooms and the laundry, and point out anything that already has wear. Note it in the same report so nobody argues later about what was there before.

If the house has shared utilities, tell the tenant how the split works and when it is due. See CoRent fees for how rent and fees work on the platform.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to do a move-in report?

Virginia law sets rules for a move-in report with a five-day timing. Read the code section linked above and ask an attorney how it applies to you.

Should I take photos?

Yes. Dated photos back up your written report. Take them before the tenant arrives and keep them with the signed report.

What if the tenant disagrees with the report?

Under the Virginia section above, the tenant can object in writing within five days of receiving it. Talk it through, fix the record in writing and keep both versions.