Move-in And Move-out Property Documentation
Professional Rental Property Documentation for California Landlords
Protect your rental property with clear, organized visual documentation before a tenant moves in and after a tenant moves out.
PMI Sunny OC provides professional property-condition documentation for self-managing landlords, real estate investors, and rental property owners who want a detailed record of their property’s observable condition without enrolling in full-service property management.
Using high-resolution photographs, 360-degree imaging, and written condition observations, we create a date-specific visual record that helps you stay organized, evaluate property changes, and make more informed turnover decisions.
Services start at $399 per documentation appointment.
SCHEDULE YOUR PROPERTY DOCUMENTATIONWHY PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTATION MATTERS
California’s security-deposit rules place significant responsibilities on rental property owners.
For tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025, California landlords are generally required to photograph the rental unit immediately before or at the beginning of the tenancy.
Beginning April 1, 2025, landlords are also generally required to photograph the rental property:
- After possession is returned, but before completing cleaning or repairs for which a security-deposit deduction may be claimed; and
- After those cleaning or repair services are completed.
Note
California law also generally requires landlords to provide the tenant with copies of the photographs taken after cleaning or repairs are completed. Photographs can be delivered by mail, email, flash drive, or an online link. Scheduling a post-cleaning or post-repair documentation appointment can help you meet this requirement and create the record you may need to deliver to your tenant.
California landlords generally have no more than 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates to return the security deposit or provide the tenant with an itemized statement of deductions and the remaining deposit balance.
Professional documentation can help establish an organized visual record while you coordinate cleaning, repairs, estimates, invoices, and the security-deposit disposition.
Documentation alone does not establish tenant responsibility or make a security-deposit deduction legally valid. Property owners remain responsible for determining lawful deductions and satisfying all applicable notice, photography, documentation, delivery, and deadline requirements.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Professional 360-Degree Property Documentation
We create high-resolution 360-degree images of accessible areas included in the selected service.
Unlike standard photographs, 360-degree images allow you to revisit a room virtually and view surrounding walls, flooring, fixtures, and other visible conditions long after the appointment has been completed.
Written Condition Observations
The report may include written observations describing visible conditions such as stains, marks, holes, cracks, discoloration, missing items, debris, or apparent damage.
These observations describe visible conditions only. They do not determine the cause, age, severity, repair cost, legal responsibility, habitability, code compliance, ordinary wear and tear, or whether a security-deposit deduction is lawful.
Detailed Visual Condition Record
We document the readily observable condition of accessible areas included in your service package.
Depending on the property and selected service, the documentation may include:
- Living areas
- Bedrooms and bathrooms
- Kitchens and appliances
- Interior walls and ceilings
- Flooring
- Windows and doors
- Cabinets and countertops
- Fixtures
- Garages
- Patios and balconies
- Yards and exterior areas
- Visible personal property left behind
- Other accessible areas included in the service order
The service is limited to visible conditions in normally accessible areas. We do not move furniture or personal belongings, open walls, disassemble equipment, enter hazardous areas, or perform destructive or technical testing.
California Security Deposit Guide
You will receive our California Security Deposit Guide, which provides general educational information concerning:
- California security-deposit procedures
- Common categories of lawful deductions
- Ordinary wear and tear
- Useful-life and depreciation considerations
- Move-in and move-out documentation practices
- Organizing estimates, invoices, receipts, and photographs
- Common turnover documentation issues
The guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, does not replace the California Civil Code, and does not guarantee compliance with state or local law.
Security Deposit Organization Worksheet
You will also receive an Excel worksheet designed to help you organize your own records, including:
- Cleaning and repair items
- Vendor estimates
- Invoices and receipts
- Replacement costs
- Useful-life information
- Potential depreciation calculations
- Deposit amounts
- Potential deductions
- Potential refund amounts
Note
The worksheet is an organizational tool for your own use. It is not a statutory notice and is not the itemized statement of deductions that California law generally requires you to deliver to your tenant. It does not determine whether a tenant is responsible for an item, whether a deduction is lawful, or whether your final security-deposit disposition complies with California law. You remain solely responsible for preparing and delivering your own itemized statement to your tenant within the applicable statutory deadline.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Your property documentation is completed by a California property management professional with practical experience coordinating rental property turnovers, move-in documentation, move-out documentation, leasing, maintenance, and day-to-day rental property operations.
We understand which areas are commonly overlooked, why timing matters, and how organized documentation can help property owners manage a turnover more effectively.
PMI Sunny OC provides documentation and general educational resources through this service. We do not provide legal advice, make security-deposit decisions for you, or determine what you should charge a tenant.
BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTATION
Thorough property documentation can help you:
- Establish the property’s observable condition before occupancy
- Document the property after possession is returned
- Compare move-in and move-out conditions
- Identify areas that may require additional investigation
- Organize turnover-related records
- Support informed security-deposit decisions
- Reduce disagreements caused by incomplete records
- Save time during the turnover process
- Preserve information for future reference
- Provide photographs to attorneys, insurers, vendors, tenants, or other authorized parties when appropriate
Documentation does not guarantee that a dispute will be avoided or that a deduction will be upheld. It gives you a clearer and more organized record from which to make your own decisions.
WHO THIS SERVICE IS FOR
This service is ideal for:
- Self-managing landlords
- DIY rental property owners
- Real estate investors
- Out-of-state property owners
- First-time landlords
- Trusts and family-owned rental properties
- Owners preparing for a tenant move-out
- Owners preparing for a new tenant move-in
- Owners who need professional documentation without full-service management
SERVICE OPTIONS AND PRICING
MOVE-IN DOCUMENTATION
Starting at $399
Professional property-condition documentation completed immediately before or at the beginning of a new tenancy.
The property should be in its final rent-ready condition before the appointment, with cleaning, repairs, painting, and preparation completed.
The appointment creates a date-specific record of the property’s visible condition before the new tenant takes possession.
MOVE-OUT DOCUMENTATION BEFORE CLEANING OR REPAIRS
Starting at $399
Professional property-condition documentation completed after the former tenant has fully vacated and returned possession, but before deductible cleaning or repairs begin.
The property should remain in substantially the condition in which it was surrendered until the documentation appointment has been completed.
This service does not include documentation after cleaning or repairs.
POST-CLEANING OR POST-REPAIR DOCUMENTATION
Contact us for pricing.
California law may require landlords claiming qualifying security-deposit deductions to photograph the property after the related cleaning or repairs have been completed.
This is a separate appointment and is not included with the standard move-out documentation service unless expressly stated in your service order.
The property owner is responsible for scheduling the follow-up appointment early enough to meet all applicable security-deposit deadlines.
TURNOVER DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE
Starting at $699
This package includes:
- Move-out documentation after possession is returned and before cleaning or repairs; and
- Move-in documentation before the replacement tenant takes possession.
Together, these appointments provide a continuous visual record across the rental property turnover.
The Turnover Documentation Package does not include post-cleaning or post-repair documentation unless expressly added to the service order.
TURNOVER PACKAGE ELIGIBILITY
The following requirements apply:
- The package must begin with a qualifying move-out documentation appointment.
- The replacement tenant must be expected to take possession within 90 calendar days after the move-out documentation appointment.
- The move-in appointment must be completed within that 90-day period.
- If the property is not ready or the move-in appointment is not completed within 90 days, the unused appointment will expire and any future documentation will be billed at the then-current standard rate.
- Appointments canceled, rescheduled, or made inaccessible are subject to the applicable service terms and cancellation policy.
- Package pricing applies to the same rental property and cannot be transferred to another property or customer.
PRICING INFORMATION
Listed prices are starting prices and may vary based on:
- Property size
- Property type
- Number of rooms
- Detached structures
- Furnished or occupied conditions
- Travel distance
- Requested documentation scope
- Additional appointments
- Unusual access requirements
- Other property-specific conditions
Your price will be shown before you approve the Housecall Pro estimate.