Apartment Move-Out Documentation: Protect Your Deposit with a Dated Paper Trail

What accounting does your landlord owe you after move-out?

After you hand back the keys, your landlord must send an itemized list of deductions and any refund within 30 days — or within 60 days of an interim accounting. (N.C.G.S. § 42-52.)

Deductions are supposed to be listed in writing, item by item. (N.C.G.S. § 42-53.)

Why does your forwarding address start the deposit accounting clock?

Give your landlord your new mailing address in writing before you leave, and keep a copy of what you sent. Your landlord needs it to send your accounting and refund.

Why is condition a comparison, not a memory?

A deposit dispute is really a dispute about condition: what the home was like when you moved in, and what it was like when you left. Two dated records settle it with facts.

Which areas should you walk through at move-out?

Use the Move-Out Condition Logger for the same areas you documented at move-in. Each area gets a date, notes in your own words, and up to five photos.

How do you compare move-in and move-out conditions side by side?

The Condition Comparison shows your move-in and move-out entries next to each other — same areas, dated, with photos. Both condition reports are free PDF downloads.

How do you log the move-out handoff?

Record the key return date, your written forwarding notice, and any inspection or landlord message on your housing timeline. Each event gets its own date and proof.