San Antonio Move-In and Move-Out Inspections: What Texas Landlords Must Document

Security deposit disputes are one of the most common sources of landlord-tenant conflict in San Antonio, and the vast majority of those disputes go poorly for landlords who skipped proper documentation at move-in. The inspection does not take long — 30 to 45 minutes per unit — and it is the difference between winning a dispute and writing a check you did not owe. Here is exactly what to do, what to photograph, and what Texas law says you must provide.

Why Most San Antonio Landlords Lose Security Deposit Disputes

The reason is almost always the same: no documented move-in condition, or documentation that the tenant also signed but did not actually walk through. The Texas Property Code (§92.104) gives landlords 30 days after move-out to return the security deposit, with an itemized list of deductions. Tenants who dispute those deductions will go to Bexar County justice of the peace court if the amount is under $10,000 — and in that hearing, the burden of proof on damages is on you, the landlord.

Without a move-in inspection that the tenant signed, you have no baseline. You cannot prove that the carpet stain was not there when they moved in, or that the kitchen drawer was not broken, or that the wall damage happened during their tenancy rather than before. A tenant who contests $800 in deductions wins on all counts simply by saying "that was there when I moved in" — and in the absence of documentation, the judge has to believe them.

The Texas Move-In Inspection Legal Requirements

Texas Property Code §92.103 requires landlords to return the security deposit within 30 days of the tenant vacating. §92.104 requires an itemized deduction list with specific amounts. But the move-in inspection itself is not technically required by statute — what IS required is that the tenant receive written notice of their right to be present at move-out inspection (§92.103).

However, the practical implication of these rules is clear: if you have a documented move-in inspection with the tenant's signature, you have the baseline you need to justify every deduction. If you do not, you are starting every security deposit dispute at a disadvantage.

San Antonio Bexar County justice of the peace courts see security deposit disputes regularly. In 2023, the four JP courts in Bexar County processed over 1,200 landlord-tenant cases of various types — many of which were deposit disputes that could have been resolved without court involvement if proper documentation existed.

The Move-In Inspection Checklist: Every Room, Every Surface

Before the Walkthrough: Send the Schedule in Writing

Your lease should specify a move-in date and time, and it should note that a move-in inspection will occur. Send the tenant a written notification — email is fine — confirming the inspection date and their right to be present. If they choose not to attend, note that in writing and proceed without them. Their absence does not relieve you from documenting the condition, and it does not create liability if you document thoroughly.

Living Room and Common Areas

Photograph and note:

All walls — front, back, left, right. Get close enough to capture any existing nail holes, scuffs, marks, or discoloration.
All flooring — carpet condition (stains, wear patterns, fading), hardwood or tile condition (scratches, chips, missing grout).
Windows and window sills — any cracks in glass, damage to screens, broken seals on double-pane windows.
Light fixtures and ceiling fans — working or not, any damage to globes or blades.
Doors and trim — marks, dents, paint damage, door hardware condition.
Baseboards — scuffs, chips, any separation from the wall.
HVAC vents — clean or dusty, any visible damage.

Kitchen

The kitchen is where most move-in damage claims come from. Document everything:

All appliances — stove top, oven interior and exterior, refrigerator shelves and drawers, microwave interior, dishwasher interior. Note the model and serial numbers from the appliances themselves (not the lease), so you have a record in case of a warranty claim.
Counters and backsplash — chips, cracks, stains, missing caulk.
Cabinets — doors, hinges, shelves, interior condition. Open every door and photograph inside.
Sink — any chips, scratches, stains in the basin, condition of the drain, faucet operation.
Pantry or cabinet storage — shelves, any damage inside.
Flooring — same as living room. Record the type and approximate condition.

Bathrooms

Toilet — exterior condition, any scratches or staining on the bowl or tank, whether it flushudes properly.
Shower or tub — any chips in the enamel or acrylic, discoloration, mold in caulk lines, condition of the showerhead.
Sink and vanity — chips, scratches, condition of the mirror and any medicine cabinet.
Exhaust fan — working, noise level.
Flooring and baseboards — same documentation standard as other rooms.
Towel bars, toilet paper holders, and any wall-mounted fixtures — are they secure, are they damaged?

Bedrooms

Each bedroom gets the same treatment. Photograph all four walls, the ceiling, and the floor. Check the closet — doors, shelves, rods, lighting. Document any existing damage before the tenant puts anything in the space.

Exterior and Entry

Front and rear entry doors — condition of the door, frame, locks, deadbolt.
Any exterior lighting.
Driveway, walkway, and any attached storage or garage.
Yard condition if applicable — this matters for single-family homes. Photograph the lawn condition, any bare patches, fence condition, and any existing damage to landscaping.

The Documentation Format That Holds Up in Court

Photograph Everything — And Do It Systematically

A photo from your phone taken in the dark with the location turned off is not very useful. The checklist approach:

Turn on location tagging in your phone camera so every photo has GPS metadata
Take wide shots first — the room in context — then close-up shots of specific areas
Date-stamp photos or keep a separate log with the date in the filename
Store photos in at least two locations: your phone's cloud backup AND a dedicated folder per tenant that you keep for at least 90 days after move-out

The Written Form: The Inspection Report

Photos alone are not enough — you need a written record with the tenant's acknowledgment. The inspection form should have:

Property address and unit number
Move-in date and inspection date
Tenant name and signature (or a signed acknowledgment if they did not attend)
Room-by-room condition notes — "carpet: no stains" vs. "carpet: three 3-inch stains in living room, northeast corner"
A section for tenant comments — they may disagree with your assessment, and that disagreement is important to capture
A clause that notes whether the tenant was present or absent

The tenant should sign the form. If they refuse to sign, note that refusal in writing and send them a copy via email. Their refusal to sign does not invalidate your documentation — it just means you documented their refusal.

The Move-Out Inspection: The Critical Follow-Up

Texas law (§92.103) requires that landlords give tenants the opportunity to be present at the move-out inspection. Your lease should specify this, and you should send written notice to the tenant at least 7 days before the scheduled move-out date offering them the chance to attend. If they decline in writing, document it.

The move-out inspection uses the same checklist as move-in. You are comparing the two conditions. Where the property has changed, that is your deduction. Where the condition matches the move-in record, you do not deduct. The tenant gets documentation of every charge and the math behind it.

Common Mistakes That Cost San Antonio Landlords

Mistake 1: The "Drive-By" Inspection

Walking through a unit in 10 minutes and calling it documented is almost worse than doing nothing — you have a signed form that says "inspected" but no actual record of what you saw. The time it takes to do this properly is 30–45 minutes for a one-bedroom unit, up to 90 minutes for a house. That time is worth it.

Mistake 2: Not Matching the Move-Out to the Move-In

If your move-in inspection noted "kitchen drawer front: minor scuff, left side," then at move-out you cannot claim that drawer was damaged — it was already marked. The inspection checklist only works if you actually use it as a comparison tool, not just as a signature collector.

Mistake 3: Charging for Normal Wear and Tear

Texas courts apply a "normal wear and tear" standard to security deposit deductions. A carpet that has worn thin in a high-traffic area over a two-year tenancy is normal wear and tear — you cannot charge the tenant for carpet replacement. A carpet with a wine stain that was not there at move-in is not normal wear and tear. Know the difference, document the difference, and only deduct for what you can defend.

Mistake 4: Not Following the 30-Day Rule

Under Texas Property Code §92.103, you have 30 days after the tenant vacates to return the deposit with an itemized list of deductions. If you miss the deadline — even by one day — the tenant can sue for actual damages plus $300. Send the check and the itemized list on day 28 at the latest. Document the postmark date.

How to Make This Automatic

The move-in inspection works when it is built into your onboarding process and takes less than 5 minutes to initiate. RentiaOS includes a move-in/move-out inspection tool that walks you through the checklist room by room, captures photos with timestamps, generates the tenant acknowledgment form, and stores the record for the duration of the tenancy. When move-out comes, the system pulls up the move-in record side-by-side so you can generate a defensible deduction list with photos and notes.

No more guessing whether a stain was there before. No more writing checks you did not owe because you could not prove what happened.

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