Move-out photos for security deposit disputes: how to make them hold up

Most security deposit disputes come down to photos: what the unit looked like at move-in, and what it looked like at move-out. Now that anyone can ask an AI tool to add a stain or a hole in a wall, the other side may ask whether your photos are real. Good habits make that question easy to answer.

Take photos the same way every time

• Shoot every room at move-in and move-out, from the doorway first, then close-ups of anything damaged or worn.
• Use the phone's normal camera app. Don't use filters, beauty modes or editing.
• Keep the date and time correct on the phone. The capture time is saved in the photo's metadata.
• Include something that shows scale for damage, such as a tape measure or a coin.

Keep the original files

This is the step most people miss. Texting a photo, posting it, or taking a screenshot of it usually strips the metadata and re-encodes the image. The picture looks the same, but the evidence of when and how it was taken is gone.

• Back up the originals from the phone (for example, export them from the Photos app or your cloud photo service at full quality).
• Don't edit the originals. If you need to crop or mark one up for a letter, make a copy.
• Keep move-in and move-out sets in separate folders with the unit and date.

When the tenant sends the photos

Many landlords ask tenants to send move-in or move-out photos. Photos sent by text or email often arrive with no metadata, which leaves both sides with less to go on. A better way is to send a link where the tenant uploads or takes the photos directly. A PIT secure request link does this, and the report notes how each photo arrived.

What a photo check can and can't show

• It can show camera details and capture time when the file still has them, signs that the file was processed or re-saved, and signed records left by AI tools that sign their output.
• It can't show that a photo with no metadata is fake. Missing data usually means the photo was shared through an app that strips it.
• It can't show that the scene is what someone says it is, such as which unit or which day, beyond what the file records.

When the evidence doesn't settle a question, PIT says "unknown" instead of guessing.

In small claims court

Small claims judges usually want to know who took the photo, when, and whether it fairly shows the unit. Being able to say "these are the original files, taken on these dates, and here is a report of what each file shows" is far stronger than a printout of a text thread. Rules vary by state, so check your local court's guidance.

FAQ

The tenant says my photo was edited. What do I do?

Keep the original file and get a report on it. If it has camera metadata and no signs of AI processing, say so plainly, and be honest that a report can't prove a negative.

Do I need special software to take the photos?

No. A phone's built-in camera is fine. What matters most is keeping the original files.