Inspections

Inspections in Habitia are structured checklists that capture the condition of a property or unit at a point in time. They’re the receipts for security-deposit disputes, the baseline for turnover decisions, and the audit trail when an insurance claim happens.

Inspection types

Each inspection has a type that explains its purpose:

Type	When to use it
Move-in	At the start of a lease. Captures the unit’s condition before the tenant moves in. Tenant can sign to acknowledge.
Move-out	At the end. Compares to move-in; differences drive deposit deductions.
Annual	Routine yearly check on the unit.
Quarterly	More frequent on properties that need closer monitoring.
Turnover	Inside a turnover project; coordinates with the make-ready work.
Drive-by	Quick exterior-only check; no entry to the unit.
Maintenance follow-up	After a repair, to confirm it was done right.
Custom	Anything else.

Creating an inspection

From the sidebar, click Inspections → New inspection.
Pick the property (and unit, if it’s unit-level).
Pick the type and inspection date.
Add the inspector’s name. If it’s you doing the walk, your name is the default.

The inspection starts in pending status. Once you start filling in items, it moves to in progress. When you’re done, mark it completed — and if a tenant is signing it, submitted after they sign.

Recording items

Each inspection has a list of items — individual things you’re checking. For each item:

Item name — what you’re rating (“Living room walls”, “Kitchen sink”, “Smoke detector”).
Room — which room it’s in.
Condition — one of: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, Damaged, Missing.
Notes — optional. Anything specific worth recording.
Photos — attach as many as you need. These are the actual evidence.
Requires action — check this if the item needs follow-up (a repair, a deduction, a discussion). Acts as a flag when reviewing the inspection later.

Items can also be linked to an asset (a specific appliance, fixture, etc., from your asset registry) so the inspection updates the asset’s history.

Tenant signatures

For move-in and move-out inspections especially, the tenant signs the completed inspection. The tenant’s signature is recorded with a timestamp; the signed inspection becomes the document you reference when there’s a dispute about deposit deductions or pre-existing damage.

You can:

Have the tenant sign in-person on your device (their signature is captured and saved).
Send them the inspection through the portal and have them sign there.

Comparing inspections

When you create a move-out inspection, the system tries to link it to the matching move-in inspection (same unit, latest one prior). The detail page shows the items side-by-side so you can see what changed.

Photos and storage

Photos attached to inspection items are stored securely in Habitia and linked to the inspection record. They survive lease changes and tenant turnover — you can pull up the move-in photos from three years ago.

Tips

Take more photos than you think you need. Storage is cheap; disputes are expensive.
Be specific in notes. “Scratch on hardwood, ~6 inches, near door” is more useful than “minor scratch.”
Use Requires action. It’s how you mark findings that need follow-up so they’re easy to spot when you review the inspection later.
Inspections also live inside turnovers. If you’re doing a unit cleanout between tenants, creating the inspection from the turnover keeps everything threaded together.