NWT Entry Inspection Report: Why Landlords Cannot Skip It
What Section 15 Requires
Under Section 15 of the NWT Residential Tenancies Act, the landlord must inspect the premises at the beginning of the tenancy and offer the tenant reasonable opportunities to participate. The landlord must prepare and sign the report without delay, give the tenant an opportunity to comment and sign, and provide a copy within five days after the inspection. The NWT Rental Office publishes an official Inspection Report Form (last revised September 26, 2014) that both parties may use to document the unit's condition at move-in.
This is not optional paperwork. It is a statutory prerequisite that directly controls what you can claim from a security deposit when the tenancy ends.
The Deposit Consequence
Under Section 18(5), for tenancies entered into on or after September 1, 2010, a landlord cannot retain any part of a security deposit for repairs of damage if either the entry or exit report was not completed, or the tenant was not given a copy of each report without a reasonable excuse accepted by the Rental Officer. Section 18(4) separately permits retention for rent arrears.
This rule catches landlords off guard more than any other provision in the NWT tenancy system. By the time a tenancy is ending and you discover the inspection was never done, there is no way to fix it retroactively.
The Tenancy Agreement Copy Rule
Section 11 of the Act requires landlords to give the tenant a copy of the signed tenancy agreement within 60 days after it has been signed by the tenant and delivered to the landlord. The standard tenancy agreement form (last updated May 15, 2025) is available from the GNWT Justice portal.
While failing to provide the agreement copy does not directly bar deposit claims the way the inspection does, it creates procedural disadvantages before the Rental Officer. A landlord who cannot demonstrate they met their basic documentation obligations starts any hearing on the back foot.
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Conducting a Proper Entry Inspection
The landlord must offer the tenant reasonable opportunities to participate in the inspection. Use the official Rental Office form or a format that covers every room, fixture and surface. Photograph everything, especially existing damage like stained carpets, chipped counters or marks on walls. The landlord signs the completed form and gives the tenant an opportunity to comment and sign; the tenant gets a copy within five days after the inspection.
Keep the report for at least 18 months after the tenant vacates or abandons the premises. You may need it if a dispute arises at the end of the tenancy.
Exit Inspections Complete the Picture
Section 17.1 requires an exit inspection when the tenant vacates at the end of a tenancy and reasonable opportunities for the tenant to participate. Section 18(5) applies the same restriction on deposit deductions for repairs of damage if the exit report is not completed or a copy is not given to the tenant without a reasonable excuse accepted by the Rental Officer.
Schedule the exit inspection promptly after the tenant has moved their belongings out. The deposit return deadline starts on the day the tenant vacates or abandons; the landlord must give the tenant a copy of the exit report within five days after the inspection. Take photos that match the angles from the entry inspection.
How This Fits the Termination Process
Entry and exit inspections are part of the broader compliance chain when ending a tenancy in the NWT. A landlord who gets the notice right, serves it properly and wins at a Rental Officer hearing can still lose financially if the deposit documentation was not completed years earlier at move-in. The inspection requirement is one of several prerequisites that our NWT ending a tenancy guide covers in the compliance timeline.
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