Move-In and Move-Out Inspections: A Landlord's Guide (BC and Ontario)

A condition inspection is the cheapest insurance a landlord has. When a dispute arises over damage, the whole question is "was that there before the tenant moved in?" and a dated, signed inspection report answers it. But the rules differ sharply by province: in British Columbia the inspection is mandatory, and skipping it can cost you the deposit; in Ontario it is not required but is your strongest evidence. Here is how it works in both.

British Columbia: mandatory, with real teeth

In BC, a joint condition inspection, documented in a compliant condition inspection report, is required at both the start and the end of every tenancy. This is not just best practice; it is in the Residential Tenancy Act, and the RTB provides a standard form (RTB-27) for it.

Here is the part that makes it matter: if the landlord fails to meet the inspection requirements, the landlord's right to claim against the security deposit and the pet damage deposit for damage is extinguished. In plain terms, skip the inspection and you generally must return the deposit, even if there is damage. The Act ties your ability to keep any of the deposit for damage directly to doing the inspection properly.

Doing it right in BC means:

• Inspect together at move-in and again at move-out, completing the report each time.
• Offer the tenant two opportunities to do the move-out inspection.
• Give the tenant a copy of the report (within seven days).

Miss those steps and the deposit protection goes with them.

Ontario: not required, but still your best evidence

Ontario is different in two connected ways. First, there is no statutory move-in or move-out inspection requirement. Second, and this is the reason why, Ontario does not allow damage or security deposits at all. A landlord can collect only a last month's rent deposit (plus a refundable key deposit), so there is no deposit-linked inspection regime like BC's.

That does not make inspections pointless in Ontario, though. If you ever claim a tenant caused damage, you take that claim to the Landlord and Tenant Board, and the burden of proof is on you: you have to show the condition at move-in, the condition at move-out, that the tenant caused the difference, and a reasonable cost. A thorough, dated, signed inspection report is by far the most persuasive way to meet that burden. It is optional, but it is what wins the case.

How to do an inspection well (either province)

The mechanics are the same wherever you are:

• Go through every area individually, recording the condition of walls, floors, appliances, fixtures, and the exterior, rather than a vague overall note.
• Support it with dated photos or video. Timestamps are what make the record credible later.
• Both parties sign, and each keeps a copy, at move-in and again at move-out.
• Use the same detail at both ends, because the report only proves anything by comparison. A meticulous move-in report and a vague move-out one does not settle much.

Our rental inspection checklist is a ready-made structure to work through.

Frequently asked questions

Is a move-in inspection mandatory in Ontario? No. Ontario has no statutory inspection requirement, and no damage deposits. But an inspection is your best evidence if you ever claim damage at the LTB, where the burden of proof is on you.

What happens if a BC landlord skips the inspection? Their right to claim against the security and pet damage deposits for damage is extinguished, so the deposit generally must be returned even if there is damage.

Do photos matter? Yes, enormously. Dated photos or video are what make an inspection report credible when a dispute is heard months later.

Do I need to inspect at both move-in and move-out? In BC, yes: it is required at both ends. In Ontario it is not required, but inspecting at both ends is still what protects you, because the report proves damage only by comparison.

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The landlords who win damage disputes are the ones with a clean, dated record from day one. Habyn helps small landlords keep inspection reports, photos, and tenancy records organized per unit. See how Habyn helps landlords.