Inspection rules by province
Some provinces require a written inspection report at move-in and move-out, and several publish a form. Where your province prescribes a form, use it. This checklist works everywhere else, and alongside an official form for your own notes.
British Columbia
B.C. requires the landlord and tenant to inspect the unit together at move-in and at move-out, with a written report both sign. The landlord must offer the tenant two chances to attend, the second on Form RTB-22. The tenant gets a copy within 7 days of the move-in inspection, and within 15 days after the later of the move-out inspection and the landlord receiving the tenant's forwarding address in writing. Form RTB-27 is optional, but any report must include what the regulation lists.
A landlord who skips these steps loses the right to claim against the security and pet deposits for damage. A tenant who does not take part in either offered inspection loses the right to have the deposit returned.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Alberta
Alberta requires the landlord and tenant to inspect the unit together within one week before or after move-in, and again within one week before or after move-out. The landlord gives the tenant a written report as soon as each inspection is done. There is no government form, but the report must include the statements set out in the Residential Tenancies Ministerial Regulation. The landlord can inspect alone only after proposing two times on different days that no adult tenant agrees to. Reports must be kept for three years.
Without the inspection reports, a landlord cannot deduct anything from the security deposit for damage, and doing so anyway is an offence with a fine of up to $5,000.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan law does not require a move-in or move-out inspection. The Office of Residential Tenancies publishes an optional Condition of Premises Checklist for both inspections, which both sides sign and date, each keeping a signed copy.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Manitoba
Manitoba requires a condition report only when the landlord or the tenant asks for one. Once asked, both inspect the unit at the start and again at the end of the tenancy, the landlord fills in the prescribed Form 5, both sign it, and the tenant gets a signed copy. The Residential Tenancies Branch encourages a report at every move-in and move-out.
There is no penalty for not doing one, but a completed report can be used as evidence to settle disputes, including deposit claims.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Ontario
Ontario does not require a move-in or move-out inspection and has no official form. Landlords cannot take a damage deposit, so a landlord recovers the cost of damage by applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board, during the tenancy or within one year after the tenant moves out.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Quebec
Quebec does not require an inspection or a condition report, and there is no official form. The Civil Code lets the parties record the condition of the dwelling with a description or photos. If they do not, the tenant is presumed to have received it in good condition.
Because of that presumption, a tenant without a record will find it harder to show that damage was already there. Quebec landlords cannot take a deposit, so the cost of damage is claimed from the tenant rather than deducted.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
New Brunswick
New Brunswick does not require an inspection. The province recommends that the landlord and tenant inspect together before move-in and before move-out, note all damage, sign and date the report and each keep a copy. It publishes an optional Accommodation Inspection Report.
There is no penalty for skipping it, but on a deposit claim the burden of proof is on the landlord, and the report can be important evidence. The province plans to introduce a revised Residential Tenancies Act, so check for changes.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia does not require an inspection. The standard form of lease recommends that the landlord and tenant inspect together and sign a condition report no later than 7 days after the tenancy starts, and again no later than 7 days after it ends. The province publishes an optional Rental Unit Condition Report.
There is no penalty for skipping it. The Residential Tenancies Act says a claim against a security deposit cannot include ordinary wear and tear.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Prince Edward Island
PEI requires the landlord and tenant to inspect the unit together at move-in and at move-out, with the landlord completing the report on Form 5, which is mandatory. The landlord must offer the tenant two chances to attend. If the tenant takes part in neither, the landlord inspects alone and gives the tenant a signed copy.
In a dispute over the deposit, the Director can hold a missed inspection against the landlord or the tenant. Skipping it does not, by itself, take away the landlord's right to claim against the deposit.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador does not require an inspection. The province recommends completing, signing and dating a condition report together at the start and end of the tenancy, and taking photos or video, and publishes an optional Rental Premises Condition Report. If one side will not take part, the other should complete it with a witness and give them a copy.
Checked against these official sources on September 27, 2026:
This page explains the general rules for private rentals and is not legal advice. Rules differ for some kinds of housing, and they change. For a specific situation, check with the tenancy tribunal in your province.