Renter's Home Inventory Checklist
A renter's policy covers what you own, not the building. The useful list is the one you can open after a fire or a break-in: the item, the room, what you paid, and a photo. Your policy decides what is actually paid. This checklist is the paperwork people are usually asked to produce.
1. Write this down for each item
- What it is, and which room it lives in.
- Brand, model, and serial number when the item has a plate or a label.
- Purchase date and price, or your best estimate if the receipt is gone. Label a guess as a guess.
- A photo of the item in the apartment, plus a photo of the receipt if you still have it.
2. Electronics and furniture
- Televisions, laptops, phones, cameras, consoles, and audio equipment.
- Beds, sofas, dressers, desks, and a dining set you paid for. Everyday dishes do not each need a line.
- Photograph the tag or the serial label before the item is against the wall.
- Bicycles, instruments, and tools in a closet or on a balcony are easy to forget. Add them.
3. What is yours, and what is the landlord's
- The building's refrigerator, range, and heater are the landlord's. Photograph their condition on the move-in checklist, and do not list them as your property.
- Your microwave, your couch, and your laptop are yours.
- Jewelry, art, and collections often need a separate note or appraisal. Keep that paper with the photo.
- Skip groceries and toiletries. They crowd out the items you would actually replace.
4. A copy that survives the apartment
- Export a PDF when the first pass is done.
- Keep that copy somewhere that is not only the phone sitting in the apartment.
- Add a line when you buy something expensive. A yearly rewrite is how lists go stale.
The longer version of this list, including whole-house systems, is the home inventory list for insurance.
Store the list on your phone
AruHome keeps photos, serial numbers, and receipts on the device. No account. The free inventory PDF is included. The App Store button opens the app directly.
