Checklist
Printable checklist
Tenant move-out punch list for commercial units
Print it, walk the unit with a pen, and tick each line. It follows the order the work should happen in, so nothing is painted twice.
How to use this list
Walk the unit while the outgoing tenant is still in it if you can, then again once it is empty. Photograph the empty unit before any making good starts. Write the location beside every line you tick, using the names on the building signage, so a technician can find the item without calling you.
Work runs in a set order: strip-out, investigation, licensed trades, patching and carpentry, painting, then locks and hardware last. Painting before an electrician or plumber has finished means painting twice, and rekeying too early leaves a second set of keys with the contractors.
Most items below are finish work that our own technicians carry out. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC items are marked on the sheet. Florida requires a licensed contractor for those at any job size, and we coordinate and document that work.
The checklist
Tenant move-out punch list for commercial units
Before the tenant leaves
- Ask for the key list: how many were issued, not how many are coming back
- Get the landlord surrender checklist in writing, if there is one
- Compare against the entry condition record; note damage that was there on day one
- Walk the occupied unit to see what is the tenant fixture and what is the building
- Agree in writing who pays for the rekey and for any making good the tenant will do themselves
Strip-out and clearance
- Shelving, wall units, brackets, hooks and rails removed
- Wall-mounted screens and equipment mounts removed
- Partition tracks and fasteners removed
- Cable runs and data points checked above the ceiling and behind counters (electrical cabling: licensed contractor)
- Adhesive residue and abandoned items cleared from floors
Walls and paint
- Nail and screw holes filled and sanded
- Anchor holes and cut-outs patched with joint compound in coats, feathered wide
- Anchor holes in block and concrete filled properly, not smeared over
- Partition scars where a wall met a ceiling or floor repaired
- Crushed metal corner bead replaced, not skimmed over
- Dents and gouges at knee and hip height repaired
- Scuffed walls washed before painting
- Original color and sheen confirmed; whole wall repainted corner to corner where a patch would show
- Unpainted rectangle behind fitted counters and where signage hung repainted
- Stained or cracked wall areas traced to the source before painting over
Ceilings
- Stained, cracked or missing tiles replaced like for like
- Cut tiles from around old services replaced properly
- Bent ceiling grid straightened or replaced
- Brown rings checked: is the leak active or old? Find out before painting (plumbing source: licensed contractor)
- Dead lamps replaced (ballast, driver or wiring faults: licensed electrician)
- Loose fixtures refixed to their bracket (any wiring: licensed electrician)
Doors and hardware
- Every door: hinges tight, closer working, latch catching on its own
- Handles and levers secure, no play or lifting needed to lock
- Exit devices release in one motion
- Thresholds and weatherstripping intact
- Door edges, casing and baseboard damage repaired or replaced
- Stockroom, riser and roof access doors checked, not only the front door
- Powered doors and gates checked for wear (operator and controls: licensed contractor)
Locks, keys and access
- Every key, fob and card returned and counted against the issue list
- Credentials issued to the tenant revoked at the controller
- Shared alarm code changed
- Tenant-added keypads, padlocks and smart locks removed or handed over with codes
- Original cylinders restored where the tenant changed them
- Cylinders off the main route rekeyed: stockrooms, roof access, risers, cages and gate padlocks
- Full rekey done last, after all contractors are finished and before the next party has access
- Master key system scoped before rekeying, so other tenants are not locked out
Glass
- Storefront and interior glass checked for chips and cracks not on the entry record
- Glass doors and sliding doors operating properly
- Any full replacement that needs a permit flagged: permitted work goes to a licensed contractor
Fixtures with no wiring
- Cabinet doors, drawer runners and shelving brackets fixed
- Silicone and sealant renewed around sinks, backsplashes and window reveals
- Blinds present and working
- Floor tile lifted or missing replaced
- Outlet covers present (outlets and switches: licensed electrician)
- Dripping faucets and failed fixtures noted (plumbing: licensed contractor)
- Air handler noted for service (HVAC: licensed contractor)
Signage holes and exterior
- Exterior and fascia signage removed
- Anchor holes in masonry or stucco filled and sealed
- Unpainted sign rectangle repainted so it does not show from the street
The photo record
- Photographs of the empty unit taken before any work starts, with the date in the file
- Every wall, door, ceiling and floor photographed after the work is done
- Photos named by punch list item number
- Model and serial labels photographed on equipment
- Landlord representative walk-through done, sign-off on the checklist requested in writing
- Items the landlord adds afterward checked against the photographs
Common questions
Questions about this checklist
When should the unit be rekeyed?
After the outgoing tenant and their contractors are finished and before the incoming ones start. Returned keys say nothing about copies, so rekeying is the step that ends the old access.
Who pays for items on the list?
The lease and the entry condition record decide it. Damage is usually charged to the outgoing tenant, while fair wear and deferred maintenance sit with the landlord. Agree the rekey in writing before it happens.
Can I hand the unit back with the build-out in place?
Only if the landlord agrees in writing. Most leases require removal of tenant installations, and anything left behind can be charged as a removal cost.
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Want the list worked for you?
Send us the completed sheet with the property address. Our own technicians carry out the finish items against your line numbers, licensed contractors take any electrical, plumbing or HVAC lines, and we return a photo record against the same numbers.