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.
Coming soon. No subscription: pay once per tenancy.
Example packet
Unit 2, Elm Street
Moved out October 3
Day 21: Oct 24
- Bedroom wall: patch and paint$180.00BeforeAfterReceipt attached
- Oven: deep clean$65.00BeforeAfterReceipt attached
- Missing blind, living room$42.50BeforeAfterReceipt attached
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:
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.
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.
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 will work
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Pay once per tenancy. No subscription.
Per tenancy
$24 one time
Move-in walk-through, tenant sign-off, move-out and after-repair photos, the packet PDF and the photo link.
Move-out only
$15 one time
For tenancies that started before July 1, 2025: move-out and after-repair photos, the packet PDF and the photo link.
Founding price: $15 per tenancy for the first 50 landlords on the waitlist.
Waitlist
Be first in line
Join to get first access and the $15 founding price. Telling us your next move-out date helps us decide what to finish first.
Join the waitlist
We’ll email you once, when it opens. No payment today.
That didn’t go through. Please check your email address and try again, or write to hello@moveoutpacket.com.
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.
When will it be ready?
It is being built now. Join the waitlist and we will email you when it opens. Founding members get first access.
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 packet ($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. Join the waitlist and choose “11 or more”. If enough managers ask, we will add a per-unit plan.