Inventory for rental properties: a guide for landlords and property managers

Updated October 30, 2026

A home inventory isn't only for homeowners. If you own or manage rental units, you insure the building and whatever you supply in it: appliances, furniture in a furnished unit, and the equipment in shared spaces. After a fire, a flood or a break-in, you'll need to show what was there. Recording it now, one unit at a time, takes far less effort than reconstructing it later.

What your policy covers, and what it doesn't

• Your property. A landlord policy covers the building itself. Some also cover personal property you keep in the units, such as appliances and furniture, so check what yours includes^[1].
• Not your tenants' belongings. A landlord's insurance won't cover tenants' personal belongings; that's what renters insurance is for^[2]. Your inventory is a record of what you own, not what they own.

What to record in each unit

• Kitchen: refrigerator, range, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and any small appliances you supply.
• Laundry: washer and dryer, if they're yours.
• Heating, cooling and water: furnace, air-conditioning units and water heater, with their model and serial numbers.
• Fixtures and finishes: window coverings, light fixtures, ceiling fans, and the flooring in each room.
• Furniture, in furnished units: beds, sofas, tables and chairs, lamps, rugs and decor.
• Safety equipment: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers.

Shared spaces and storage

• Laundry rooms, including any coin- or card-operated machines.
• Lobbies, hallways and fitness rooms: furniture, equipment and decor.
• Maintenance areas: tools, ladders, lawn and snow equipment, and spare appliances or parts.
• Offices: computers, printers and furniture used to run the property.

How to film a unit

1. Film between tenants when you can. An empty unit is quicker to film, and you capture only what's yours.
2. In an occupied unit, give the notice your lease and local law require before you enter, and keep tenants' belongings out of the shot where you can.
3. Say the address, the unit number and the room as you start, so each video shows where it was made. Your phone adds the date it was recorded^[3].
4. Walk each room slowly, opening closets and cabinets, and get close to model and serial numbers on appliances.
5. Say what you paid and roughly when it was installed, for anything you remember.

Keep it current

• At every turnover, when you're inspecting the unit anyway and appliances and furniture are most likely to change.
• After upgrades and replacements, such as a new water heater or new flooring.
• Once a year for any unit you haven't filmed again^[4].

The same video records condition

Footage of an empty unit at move-in also shows its condition. Rules on move-in and move-out records differ from state to state. In Minnesota, for example, landlords must tell tenants they can ask for an initial inspection, and, if the tenant agrees, can acknowledge photos or videos of the unit in writing^[5]. Check what applies where your properties are.

How ii360 helps

ii360 turns each room's video into an itemized inventory, each item with a photo from the video and an estimated replacement cost. Organize it the way you manage: a workspace for each building or property, and a room for each unit or space. Invite your team, so managers and maintenance staff can record and upload too. Download a PDF report for one unit, or for every unit in a workspace, whenever you need one.

The Property Manager and Business plans include more room videos a year; see the prices on the home page.