Move-in inspection photos in Japan: how to record your rental on day one
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) names insufficient checks of the property at move-in and move-out as a major cause of disputes over restoration costs. A record of the room on the day you move in is the most reliable way to show later that damage was already there.
What the MLIT guideline recommends
Make a checklist at move-in and at move-out and check each room and item together (landlord and tenant).
Mark where damage is and how bad it is on a floor plan or take photos, so that both sides see the same thing.
The guideline notes that such checklists can serve as evidence if a dispute arises later (it includes a sample move-in / move-out checklist).
5 photo tips
1. Shoot before the furniture arrives, while floors and walls are fully visible.
2. Take a wide shot of the room and a close-up of the damage as a pair; a close-up alone does not show where it is.
3. Put something for scale (a ruler or a coin) next to the damage.
4. Keep the date with the record (dated notes or a dated report).
5. If the managing company gives you a move-in check form, fill it in, submit it and keep a copy (or a photo of it) for yourself.
Room-by-room checklist
Entrance: the door and lock, shoe cabinet doors and shelves, scratches on the floor.
Living rooms: dents and scratches on the floor (wood, tatami, carpet), stains / holes / peeling wallpaper, windows and screens, ceiling stains.
Kitchen: stains around the stove, scratches in the sink, leaks at the tap or drain, the range hood.
Bathroom, washroom, toilet: mould, scratches on mirrors and taps, drainage, cracks in the toilet or basin.
Balcony: cracks in the floor, the drain, the laundry-pole brackets.
How the record helps at move-out
At the move-out inspection, have your move-in photos and notes at hand and photograph the same spots from the same angle. Check that the bill does not include damage that was there before you moved in.
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FAQ
Record it as soon as you can, keep the date, and tell the managing company about any damage you notice; that makes it easier to explain later.
There is no fixed number: a few wide shots per room, plus close-ups of anything you notice.
No. It introduces the general approach of the MLIT guideline. For your own lease and costs, check the contract and ask a consumer center (hotline 188, in Japanese).
Related guides
- Who pays for what at move-out in Japan: the MLIT restoration guideline with examples
- How to check a move-out bill
Source: MLIT, guideline on restoration to the original state (revised edition), chapter 1 (Japanese)（August 2011）
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