The Rental Property Inspection Checklist Washington Owners Actually Need
Four inspections, one signed document that decides who keeps the deposit, and one deadline that most published guidance still gets wrong. Here is how it works in Washington, and how we run it in Tacoma at no fee.
The four inspections, and what each one is for
Move-in inspection A written condition checklist covering every room, signed by both the landlord and the tenant, with date stamped photos. This is the document that decides deposit disputes a year or two later. Walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows, blinds, appliances with model and serial numbers, plumbing fixtures, detectors, keys issued and meter readings.
Periodic interior inspection A scheduled interior walk with written notice to the tenant. Looking for water and moisture, detector status, filter changes, unauthorized occupants or pets, and the problems a tenant stopped reporting.
Exterior drive-by A quick look at the outside between interior visits. Roof and gutters, siding, yard condition, junk vehicles, and anything that would draw a code complaint. Cheap, fast, and it catches deferred maintenance early.
Move-out inspection The same rooms, the same order, the same photo angles as move-in, compared against the signed checklist. This supports the itemized deposit statement.
The move-in checklist is not optional in Washington
RCW 59.18.260 is direct. A landlord may not collect a security deposit unless the rental agreement is in writing and a written checklist specifically describing the condition and cleanliness of the unit is provided to the tenant at the start of the tenancy, signed and dated by both parties, with a copy given to the tenant.
Skip it and the consequence is severe: the landlord is liable to the tenant for the full amount of the deposit. Not the disputed portion. The whole deposit, no matter what condition the home is left in.
That is the most common expensive mistake self-managing owners make, and it takes an hour at move-in to avoid. We complete and sign a written condition checklist on every property we manage, and there is no move-in inspection fee.
30 days, not 21 days. This changed in 2023
Search for the Washington deposit return deadline and you will still find “21 days” on landlord blogs, template sites and older consumer guidance. That figure is out of date.
Under RCW 59.18.280, the deadline is 30 days from the end of the tenancy. Within those 30 days the landlord must give the tenant a full and specific written statement of the basis for retaining any part of the deposit, along with any refund due, supported by estimates or paid invoices for the work claimed. A number on a page with no backing is not a statement.
Two things follow. Do not rely on any source still printing 21 days: if a property manager’s website says 21 days, ask when they last reviewed their content. And 30 days is not a lot of time when you are gathering bids for carpet, paint and cleaning. The work starts at the move-out walk, not three weeks later.
Photo documentation, done so it holds up
Photos are what turn a checklist into evidence.
01
Every room, same order, same angles at move-in and move-out, so the two sets compare cleanly
02
Date stamped and stored in the property file in AppFolio, not on someone’s phone
03
Close ups of every existing flaw at move-in, because an undocumented scuff becomes your scuff at move-out
04
Appliance model and serial numbers, and detectors photographed in place
05
Flooring, walls and window coverings, the three most disputed items
Normal wear and tear is never chargeable to a tenant in Washington. Photos let you show the difference between wear and damage instead of arguing about it.
TESTIMONIALSThe Trusted Choice for
Rental Property Inspection
Cassidy and Celina have been absolutely amazing through the whole rental/move in processes. I’ve been renting from Red Roof Rentals for almost a year now and am extremely happy with the team. Definitely check them out! You won’t regret it!
Awesome and amazing service along with great personal experience with staff especially Cassidy who was such a great free spirited person!!
I appreciate this property management on their great customer service and for helping us throughout the process when we had the ok that we were approved, Cassidy is such a great worker and helped me throughout the process she is very professional and just an awesome worker making everything easygoing.
Cassidy was very helpful! She made everything very stress free and she was very thorough with everything! :)
Cassidy was a great help!
They made setting everything up very easy, and Cassidy was a super great help!
I have had a great experience moving into my new place with Red Roof Rentals. The team is friendly, communicative, and so helpful! I am happy to be renting from them and appreciate their great service!
Great people all around! Helped us get into our home pretty fast.
I have never worked with a more pleasant property management company. Cassidy and Celina are incredibly responsive, knowledgeable, informative, and very friendly. They made the rental process go so smoothly and relieved a lot of the stress of a very stressful process. I can’t say enough great things about this team.
Thank you guys!
Everyone was super nice and friendly, I've never worked with a management company that's so hassle free. They got our move-in set up quickly and they made the process smooth and enjoyable.
My family and I recently moved into one of their apartment complex and Cassidy from the office was absolutely wonderful throughout the whole process. Her team was incredibly accommodating with our move in situation and got us in exactly when we wanted to be. I am so happy with the whole experience.
Red Roof has always been pleasant to work with! Highly recommend!
What inspections cost with Red Roof
Nothing. There is no move-in inspection fee, no exterior drive-by fee, no annual walk-through fee, no move-out inspection fee and no security deposit disposition fee. Several companies in this market charge for each separately. Compare the full structure on our pricing.
Deposits are held in a trust account at a Washington financial institution as RCW 59.18.270 requires, with written notice of the depository to the tenant, and the accounting appears on your monthly statement. See owner financial reporting.
Red Roof Rentals has managed rental property in Tacoma since 2009, with a local staff and no remote workers. When we say someone inspected your property, a person from our office stood in it. Related: our full property management services, property maintenance and inspections, single family property management, a free rental analysis, and Washington security deposit law.
FAQ
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Thirty days from the end of the tenancy, under RCW 59.18.280. The landlord must provide a full and specific written statement of the basis for retaining any portion, supported by estimates or paid invoices, along with any refund due. Many sites still say 21 days. That figure changed in 2023 and is no longer correct.
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Yes. Under RCW 59.18.260 a landlord may not collect a security deposit without a written rental agreement and a written checklist describing the condition and cleanliness of the unit, signed and dated by both the landlord and the tenant, with a copy given to the tenant. Without one, the landlord is liable for the full deposit.
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Every room in a fixed order: walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows and blinds, appliances with model and serial numbers, plumbing fixtures, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, keys issued and meter readings. Add date stamped photos of each item, with close ups of every existing flaw so it is documented before the tenant moves in.
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Use four types together. A signed move-in inspection at the start of the tenancy, periodic interior inspections on a set schedule with written notice to the tenant, exterior drive-by checks in between, and a move-out inspection photographed against the move-in checklist. Red Roof charges no fee for any of the four.
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No. Normal wear and tear is not chargeable to a tenant in Washington. That is exactly why matching move-in and move-out photos matter. They let you show the difference between ordinary aging and actual damage, which is what an itemized deposit statement has to support with estimates or paid invoices.
Get the inspection process off your plate
If you are self-managing and you never got a signed move-in checklist, fix that at the next lease. If you would rather someone else run the whole process, book a consult. We respond within 24 hours.
Call 253.222.3387 or email support@redroofrentals.com. 14208 Pacific Ave., Unit #2, Tacoma, WA 98444.
General information as of September 2026, not legal advice. Red Roof Rentals is a property management company, not a law firm.