Skip to content
Move-Out Packet

For California landlords with 1–10 units

Your deposit photos and statement, in one packet, before day 21

If you deduct for repairs or cleaning, California now asks for photos from before and after the work, sent to the tenant with the itemized statement within 21 days. Move-Out Packet walks you through it room by room and builds the packet for you.

Move-in photos and report free. Pay once per rental, only for the move-out packet. No subscription.

Example packet

Unit 2, Elm Street

Moved out October 3

Day 21: Oct 24

  • Bedroom wall: patch and paint$180.00
    BeforeAfterReceipt attached
  • Oven: deep clean$65.00
    BeforeAfterReceipt attached
  • Missing blind, living room$42.50
    BeforeAfterReceipt attached
Statement, photos and receiptsDownload packet (PDF)

What the law asks for

Three sets of photos, then a 21-day deadline

California Civil Code §1950.5, as changed by Assembly Bill 2801, asks landlords to take these photos:

  1. Move-in

    For tenancies that begin on or after July 1, 2025

    Photos of the unit immediately before, or at the start of, the tenancy.

  2. Move-out, before repairs

    Since April 1, 2025

    Photos within a reasonable time after you get the unit back, before any repairs or cleaning you will deduct for.

  3. After repairs

    Since April 1, 2025

    Photos within a reasonable time after those repairs or that cleaning is finished.

Within 21 days of move-out

Send the itemized statement and any remaining deposit. If you deduct for repairs or cleaning, include the photos. You can give them by mail, email, flash drive, or a link where the tenant can view them online.

Why it matters

A landlord who fails to follow these steps in bad faith can’t claim any of the deposit. Keeping a deposit in bad faith can also mean damages of up to twice the deposit.

This is a short summary, not legal advice, and some exceptions apply. Read the law: California Civil Code §1950.5 (subdivisions g and h).

How it works

From a camera roll to one tidy packet

Three weeks after move-out, finding the right before-and-after photo for each charge is the hard part. Move-Out Packet keeps them together from the first day.

  1. Step 1

    Walk through at move-in

    A room-by-room checklist on your phone. Every photo is saved with its date and time. Your tenant can review and sign from a link, with no app or account.

  2. Step 2

    Photograph the move-out

    Before any work starts, walk the same rooms again. Add each charge, like “Bedroom wall, patch and paint”, and attach the photos that show it.

  3. Step 3

    Add the after photos and receipts

    When the work is done, add the after photos and the receipt to the same charge. Everything for one deduction sits together.

  4. Step 4

    Send one packet

    Download a PDF with the itemized statement, each charge with its before-and-after photos, and the receipts, plus a private photo link. A countdown and email reminders keep you ahead of day 21.

Free tool

Work out your day 21

Enter the move-out date to see the last day, and the checklist of what goes to the tenant.

When is your 21-day deadline?

What the law says goes to the tenant by that day

  • An itemized statement of the deposit and any deductions
  • Any remaining deposit
  • If you deduct for repairs or cleaning: photos from before and after the work
  • If repair and cleaning deductions are over $125: copies of receipts or invoices, or for work you did yourself, a description of the work, the time spent and your hourly rate

This counts 21 calendar days, including weekends and holidays. It is a date calculator and checklist, not legal advice. Some exceptions apply; read the law.

Price

Start free. Pay once, only for the packet you send.

The move-in walk-through, your tenant’s sign-off and the move-in report are free. You pay once per rental, when you download its move-out packet. No subscription.

Per rental

$24 one time

For a rental with move-in photos in the app: move-out and after-repair photos, charges with receipts, the packet PDF and the photo link.

Move-out only

$15 one time

For a rental with no move-in photos in the app, such as a tenancy that started before July 1, 2025: the same packet, built from the move-out and after-repair photos.

Founding price: $15 per rental, for good, for the first 50 landlords who pay.Start free

Payment is handled by Paddle, our reseller, which adds any sales tax. Full refund within 14 days: see the refund policy.

Not ready yet?

Get a reminder about the founding price

Next move-out still months away? Leave your email and we’ll write once, before the $15 founding spots run out. Telling us your next move-out date helps us decide what to improve first.

Remind me about the founding price

We’ll email you once, before the founding spots run out. No payment today.

We use your email only to tell you about Move-Out Packet. Unsubscribe any time. See our privacy policy.

Questions

Is this legal advice?

No. Move-Out Packet helps you take, organize and send the photos and records. You decide what to deduct and how much. If you are unsure about a charge, ask a California landlord-tenant attorney or your landlord association.

Can I use it now?

Yes. Sign in with your email, add a rental and start the move-in or move-out walk-through. No card is needed to start. The move-in report is free; you pay once per rental, only when you download its move-out packet.

What if it isn’t right for me?

Email hello@moveoutpacket.com within 14 days of paying and we will refund you in full. You don’t need to give a reason.

Does my tenant need an app or an account?

No. Your tenant gets a private link to review and sign the move-in report and to view the photos.

My tenancy started before July 1, 2025. Is this still useful?

Yes. Move-in photos were not required for those tenancies, but the before- and after-repair photos are. The move-out-only price ($15) covers that.

Where will my photos be kept?

In encrypted storage. You will be able to download everything and delete a tenancy’s photos at any time. We will never sell your data or your tenants’ data.

I manage more than 10 units. Can I use it?

It is built for owners with 1–10 units first, but you can add more. If you manage many units, write to hello@moveoutpacket.com. If enough managers ask, we will add a per-unit plan.