Should You Record a Video Before Moving Out? What 2026 Security Deposit Data Shows

Yes — record a complete, timestamped video walkthrough of your rental both when you move in and when you move out. It costs nothing, takes about five minutes per room, and is the single strongest piece of evidence you can have if a landlord tries to withhold part of your security deposit. Only 42% of renters get their entire deposit back, and 10% get none of it at all, according to Zillow's Rentals Consumer Housing Trends Report (2024, fielded 2023).

Fall is prime moving season for a lot of renters, as summer leases end and new ones begin. That makes this exactly the right week to build the habit — before you're standing in an empty apartment with keys in one hand and no proof of anything.

How Common Are Security Deposit Disputes?

More common than most renters expect. Zillow's 2024 report found that 87% of recent renters paid a security deposit, typically around $750, yet less than half get that money back in full. The gap between "paid" and "fully refunded" is where nearly every dispute lives.

Part of the problem is that renters rarely document the unit in the first place. Only 48% of renters take pictures of their unit at move-in, according to Roost's 2021 renter survey — meaning just over half start a tenancy with zero visual record of its condition — and just 29% of landlords voluntarily provide an itemized list of what they deducted and why, per a separate Roost survey (2023). Without a dated record from either side, a deposit dispute becomes a matter of who sounds more convincing — not what actually happened.

Turnover volume adds to the problem. Average resident retention across multifamily properties fell to 57% in 2026, meaning roughly 43% of rental units change hands every year, according to Zego's 2026 Resident Experience Management Report. A huge share of those move-outs cluster around late summer and fall lease cycles — right now.

A five-minute video could be the only proof you have when your deposit is on the line.

What Should a Move-Out Video Actually Capture?

A useful walkthrough video isn't just a quick pan around the living room. It should function like evidence, because that's exactly what it might become.

• Film every room, same order as move-in
• Open every closet, cabinet, appliance
• Narrate the date and address out loud
• Zoom in on any existing damage or wear
• Back up the file off your phone same day

That last step matters more than people think. A video that only exists on the phone you're about to sell, trade in, or hand back to a carrier isn't documentation you can actually retrieve six weeks later when the deposit dispute letter arrives.

Do Any States Legally Require This Documentation?

Some do — and it's a sign of where the law is heading. California's Assembly Bill 2801, effective April 1, 2025, requires landlords to photograph or video a unit's condition immediately after a tenant moves out and again after any repairs or cleaning they plan to deduct for. For leases starting on or after July 1, 2025, landlords must also document the unit's condition before move-in. If a landlord withholds part of a deposit and fails in bad faith to provide that documentation, they can lose the right to claim that money at all.

Even outside California, the underlying logic holds everywhere: whoever has dated, verifiable video of the unit's condition has the advantage in a dispute. Landlords are increasingly expected to keep this kind of record. Renters should keep their own, independent of whatever the landlord provides.

Why a Single Video Isn't Always Enough

A five-minute walkthrough proves the unit's condition at one specific moment. Move-out day itself is often the riskier window — movers, subcontractors, a landlord doing a final inspection, and sometimes neighbors are all moving in and out of the space, and disputes frequently hinge on exactly what happened between your final walkthrough and the moment you hand over the keys.

This is one place an old phone earns its keep instead of sitting in a drawer. Propped on a shelf or windowsill with iCameraPlus running, it can record continuously through the entire move — not just a five-minute clip — and archive that footage off the device automatically, so you still have it even if the phone gets packed, sold, or handed back the same afternoon. The same setup is worth keeping in place for the rest of a tenancy too, for maintenance visits, package deliveries, or simply knowing what happens at your own front door while you're at work.

Quick answers

Do I need my landlord's permission to record inside my own rental?
No. You're recording the space you legally occupy, not a shared area or someone else's private space, so no permission is required. Just avoid pointing a camera into a neighbor's unit or a shared hallway where others have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Is a phone video actually enough evidence in a dispute?
A dated, unedited video showing the full unit — paired with your lease and any move-in photos — is exactly the kind of documentation landlord-tenant disputes turn on. It won't guarantee a win, but showing up with nothing is far worse than showing up with a timestamped video.

My landlord already took their own photos — do I still need mine?
Yes. Laws like AB 2801 require landlords to share their documentation with you, but their copy can be incomplete, delayed, or simply contested. An independent video you control is what protects you if theirs doesn't hold up.

Sources

• Zillow Research — Renters: Results from the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report 2024
• Roost — Security Deposits: What Roost Members Say (2021 Survey Results)
• Roost — Security Deposit Statistics & Research
• California Legislative Information — AB-2801 Tenancy: Security Deposits
• Zego — 2026 Resident Experience Management Report