Why the move-in file matters
Under Texas Property Code 92.104 you can deduct from the deposit for damage beyond normal wear and tear, but you need to show what the home looked like on day one. Without dated photos and a signed condition report, every scuff becomes your word against the tenant's. Under 92.109, a landlord who keeps a deposit in bad faith faces real penalties. The move-in file is how you avoid that argument entirely.
Treat this as two jobs: getting the home ready to live in, and building a file that would hold up if anyone ever questioned it.
The home: one week before move-in
The home should be clean, safe and working before the tenant arrives. Anything you fix now is cheaper than a repair call in the first week, and it sets the tone for how the tenant treats the place.
- Rekey every exterior lock. Texas requires rekeying between tenants under the security device rules in Property Code 92.151 and following.
- Confirm the required security devices are present and working: a keyless deadbolt, a door viewer and a keyed deadbolt or doorknob lock on each exterior door, including the door from the garage; a pin lock plus a handle latch or security bar on sliding glass doors; and latches on windows.
- Test every smoke alarm and replace batteries. Property Code 92.255 requires a smoke alarm in each bedroom, in the hallway outside the bedrooms and on each level.
- Service the HVAC and install a new filter. In San Antonio the AC is the system tenants call about most.
- Run every appliance, faucet and toilet; check for leaks under sinks and around the water heater.
- Check GFCI outlets in the kitchen, baths, garage and outside.
- Clean the home fully, including inside appliances, cabinets and windows.
- Mow, edge and clear the yard; check sprinklers and the fence.
- Treat for pests if the home sat vacant.
The paperwork: before you sign
A Texas lease is more than a rent amount and two dates. Missing a required notice can weaken your position later, so build a standard packet and use it every time.
- A written lease signed by every adult occupant, with all addenda: pets, HOA rules, pool, lead-based paint for homes built before 1978.
- The flood disclosure Texas now requires, given as a separate written notice at or before lease signing.
- Security device, repair-request and late-fee terms written clearly. Late fees must follow Property Code 92.019.
- Who pays which utilities, who maintains the lawn, who replaces filters and how often.
- Proof of renters insurance with you listed as an interested party, if your lease requires it.
- Deposit and first month's rent received in certified funds or cleared electronic payment before keys.
- Copies of photo ID for each adult and the approved application.
- Emergency contact for the tenant and your own after-hours repair contact for them.
The inspection: move-in day
Do your own inspection immediately before handover, after cleaning and after any vendors have left. Photograph every room from each corner, then close up on every existing flaw. Photograph inside the oven, fridge, dishwasher and cabinets. Record the meter readings, the condition of the carpet, and the number of keys, remotes and fobs handed over.
Give the tenant a condition form and a short window, set in the lease, to note anything you missed. When it comes back, compare it to your photos, fix what needs fixing and file both. If the tenant lists something you disagree with, go look at it now. Disputes are easy to settle in week one and hard to settle eighteen months later.
- Dated photos and video of every room, inside and out.
- Written key count signed by the tenant.
- Meter readings for electric, gas and water.
- Signed move-in condition form returned within the lease deadline.
- Any repair items from the form scheduled and documented.
Utilities, HOA and the first month
Coordinate the utility switch so service never lapses. If the home is in San Antonio, the tenant opens CPS Energy and SAWS accounts in their name as of the lease start, and you close any accounts in your name the same day. Outside the city, confirm the provider for the address. A lapse in water or power can freeze pipes in a winter cold snap or cook a vacant home in August.
If the home is in an HOA, give the tenant the rules in writing, arrange gate and amenity access and tell the HOA who lives there if the governing documents require it. You remain responsible to the HOA for your tenant's violations.
Check in after two weeks. A short call or message catches small repairs early and shows the tenant that reporting problems is expected.
How Rothrock handles move-in for owners
When Rothrock Realty Team manages your home, move-in follows the same steps every time. The team photographs every room, hands over keys and codes, makes sure utilities are switched, has the lease signed online and gets renters insurance on file before move-in. HOA rules go to the tenant, and gate and pool access are arranged. Every photo and document lands in your owner portal, where it is waiting if it is ever needed at move-out.
Questions
Do landlords in Texas have to rekey locks between tenants?
Yes. The Texas security device rules require a landlord to rekey the locks after each tenant turnover, within a short window set by the statute. Do it before the new tenant moves in so there is no gap.
What disclosures does a Texas landlord give at move-in?
Common ones are the lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978, the flood disclosure Texas requires as a separate written notice at lease signing, and the lease terms on security devices, repairs and late fees. Use a current Texas lease form so nothing is left out.
Is a move-in inspection required in Texas?
It is not the only way to protect a deposit claim, but without one it is hard to prove damage happened during the tenancy. Dated photos and a signed condition form are the standard.
Should the tenant or the landlord have utilities in their name?
In a single-family rental the tenant usually holds electric, gas and water in their own name from the lease start. The lease should say exactly which utilities the tenant pays.
When should a landlord collect the security deposit?
Collect the deposit and the first month's rent in cleared funds before handing over keys, so a returned payment never leaves an occupant in the home who has not paid.
General information about Texas rules, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a Texas attorney.