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Student housing move-out inspection form & checkout inspection checklist

Turn season demands efficiency. Prepare your team to handle the logistics with an organized move-out inspection checklist.

Download the Student Housing Move-Out Inspection Form (PDF)
Download the Student Housing Move-Out Checklist (PDF)
Student housing move-out inspection guide.

When turn season hits, hundreds of rooms need checkout inspections in a vanishingly small amount of time. Each move-out inspection must be fast and accurate. Checkout forms also need to be easy to complete, as they’re often filled out by an RA or other student employee.

Types of turn season inspections

During turn season, different student housing inspections help with all of the logistics of getting rooms ready for new occupants.

  • Move-out inspections: Also known as checkout inspections, move-out inspections capture high-level details about the general state of the student room and identify items requiring follow-up. They’re often performed by RAs with the student present.
  • Move-in/move-out inspections: This type of inspection helps compare the condition of a room or suite before and after occupancy. Move-in/move-out inspection checklists track how much wear and tear items are experiencing, as well as identifying damage that may require a bill to the resident.
  • Other residence hall inspections: Teams responsible for different elements of the room may want to all have their own turn season inspection process. This could include a cleaning inspection, a maintenance inspection, or a health/safety inspection.

Student housing move-out inspection form for bedrooms

This move-out inspection form should be completed with the student(s) present to ensure the room is ready for turning and that issues that require follow-up are flagged. This form is set up for single occupancy; edit as needed to add left/right sides for dual-occupancy rooms.

Room information

  • Residence Hall:
  • Room Number:
  • Residents:
  • Inspection By:
  • Date:

Furniture

  • Bed and mattress clean, undamaged (Y / N)
  • Dresser clean, empty (Y / N)
  • Garbage empty (Y / N)

Floors and walls

  • Closet clean, empty (Y / N)
  • Floor clear (Y / N)
  • Walls unmarked with no holes, writing, etc. (Y / N)

Maintenance needs

  • Furniture missing
  • Furniture damaged
  • Damage to walls or floors
  • Needs painting
  • IT/power connections damaged or missing

Checkout

  • Keys returned
Customize this student housing move-out inspection form for bedrooms.
Download the Student Housing Move-Out Inspection Form for Bedrooms

Student housing move-out checklist for bedrooms

To set students up for success, provide a move-out checklist ahead of time. These can be sent via email and posted up in the residence hall so students know what they’ll be responsible for. 

Customize this student housing move-out checklist for bedrooms.
Download the Student Housing Move-Out Checklist for Bedrooms (PDF)

Preparing for a successful checkout season

The following tips will help you prepare for a smooth end-of-term inspection season:

  • Communicate expectations with student residents. Students should know the timeline and process for checkout ahead of time.
  • Look at past data to adjust for staffing needs. Your records on the amount of work required by each team during checkout audits can help you staff more effectively.
  • Review checkout inspection procedures with your RAs. Go over the process together, in person, to be sure they understand what items to flag and which count as normal wear and tear. Make sure they know who to contact if there’s a problem.
  • Have a backup available. Your RAs will need support from staff so that residents aren’t waiting to check out if the RA is unavailable.
  • Create a plan for handling returned keys. Documenting key return as part of the checkout process can help ensure that missing keys are flagged as soon as possible.

How the Northwestern University team uses inspection data to staff residence hall check-out

For extra-busy times, such as residence hall checkout, the Northwestern University Residential Services team uses historical data to adjust staffing levels.

“We’ve been able to increase or decrease [staffing] depending on the workflow that’s required for those spaces,” says Johnathan Winters, Senior Associate Director of Residential Services. “We’ve been able to do that from looking back and being able to see the performance and productivity of those times through OrangeQC.”

Learn how Northwestern adopted data-driven decision making

Digital inspections vs. paper forms for student housing

The biggest benefit to using digital inspection software for auditing student rooms is the ability to add photos to the form. With a paper form, you’re relying only on what your RAs have written down. Photos provide proof and accountability. Timestamps add another layer of transparency to the checkout process, too.

Digital forms also make it easier to flag maintenance and repair needs. Rather than manually reviewing stacks of paper, teams can see tasks come through in the app. They’ll know which rooms have been checked out and are ready for service.

After checkout, the team can review reports on the inspection data to see if certain line items are receiving low scores. This could highlight a useful area for more student education or communication.

For example, if rooms are consistently being checked out with nail holes in the walls, student housing officers may want to post signage reminding students of the no-nail policy, emphasize the policy in student housing move-in checklists, or provide damage-free hanging solutions during check-in.

Benefits of using a student housing inspection app for turn season

Common challenges during turn season

Student housing officers are no strangers to the difficulties of turn season. Common challenges include:

  • A large number of rooms to inspect for damage, cleaning, and repair needs
  • Coordinating key return with residents during move-out
  • Managing communication over damage and repair fees
  • Logistics of doing cleaning and maintenance at a high volume in a short time
  • Keeping buildings secure while people are moving their items out
  • Managing recycling and waste needs

What are turn season inspections?

Turn season inspections are detailed student housing inspections performed at the end of a term. They help residence hall officers manage the transition between the end of one residential cohort’s stay and the new residents moving in. They’re often performed at the end of the school year before summer, in between summer residencies, and at the end of the summer. Some institutions also require some level of move-out during winter break or in between terms.

FAQs

What should you look for during a student housing move-out inspection?

Look for any issues that will require follow-up before the room is occupied again. That might include damage requiring repair, missing furniture, fixtures that need to be relamped, or cleaning that will take more time than usual. Document any damage that the resident may be responsible for.

Is there a difference between a residence hall move-in/move-out inspection and a move-out inspection?

A move-in/move-out inspection checklist compares the condition of a living space at the beginning and end of occupancy. It can be used to identify maintenance needs or damage above usual wear and tear. A move-out inspection refers to an end-of-term inspection to be completed when students move out.

How can student housing management verify when an issue occurred?

Digital inspection software for universities provides a huge benefit of transparency and accountability. Keeping a log of photos documenting each room’s condition during move-in and move-out clarifies whether or not the damage occurred during the resident’s time.

Should university housing provide students with an inspection sheet?

Yes! Giving students the end-of-term checklist ahead of time clarifies your expectations for how the room should look during checkout. You can email a copy of the form, hand out sheets, or post the inspection form in common areas. You should also consider creating a move-in checklist. A move-in checklist is often used by universities to inform students about what they need to do for a move-in.

Do RAs need to do a checkout inspection for all student rooms?

Yes! Check-out inspections are crucial to ensuring that the room is ready to be turned over, with keys handed back and any billable damages documented before they get fixed.

More inspection resources

Student housing move-out inspection guide.

Student Housing Turn Season

Student housing move-out inspection form & checkout inspection checklist Turn season demands efficiency. Prepare your team to handle the logistics with an organized move-out inspection checklist. Download the Student Housing Move-Out Inspection Form (PDF) Download

Residence hall inspection guide.

Student Housing Inspection Form

Student housing inspection form Residence halls are some of the busiest buildings on campus. Organized digital inspection checklists can help your team stay on top of their priorities during the school year and be prepared

About the author

Rachel Matuch

Rachel Matuch

Rachel handles communication for OrangeQC. She writes about all things quality control, sharing best practices from around the facilities industry through how-tos and expert interviews.