LOCAL RULES

New Mexico rental inspection report requirements

Your New Mexico rental inspection report has 2 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The itemized written list of deductions and the balance within 30 days
  • 24 hours' written notice with the purpose, date and time frame
Start free: draft your New Mexico report

ReportDraft Landlord from $9 a month. 14-day free trial with your first report and up to 5 template downloads. Card required, nothing charged today, cancel anytime. Need just one? One rental inspection report for $19, no subscription.

New Mexico's Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act asks the resident to leave the unit as clean as when the residency began, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and gives the owner 30 days to send an itemized written list of anything kept from the deposit. Missing that list forfeits the right to keep any of it. Here is each rule with a link to the official New Mexico Statutes, and how walkthrough notes become the reports behind it.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Rental inspectionNEW MEXICO / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 88 words

Move-in inspection
Address: 22 Cedar Court, Unit 4B, Santa Fe, NM
Date: 2026-09-30
Landlord: Pinecrest Property Management
Tenant: Jordan Lee and Priya Raman
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
79%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 13 items into 6 sections and flagged 5 to fix soon.

  • Fix soonLiving and dining areas

    Carpet has a stain near the sofa wall.

  • Fix soonKitchen

    Dishwasher not working.

  • Fix soonKitchen

    Counter chipped near the sink.

2 New Mexico rules on your checklist, including the itemized written list of deductions and the balance within 30 days.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for entry and hallways
  • RecommendedNotes for laundry and utility

Filled in for you

Inspection typeMove-in
Rental unit address22 Cedar Court, Unit 4B, Santa Fe, NM
Inspection dateSep 30, 2026
Landlord or property managerPinecrest Property Management
Start free and draft yours

14 days free, nothing to pay today. After your first report, your name, license and company details fill in by themselves. Or preview your own notes first, no sign-up.

What New Mexico requires

  • Where there is actual cause to keep any of the deposit, the owner gives the resident an itemized written list of the deductions and the balance within 30 days of the end of the rental agreement or the resident's departure, whichever is later; mailing the statement and any payment to the resident's last known address is complianceNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-18 (C) (annotated) · NMSA 1978, s. 47-8-18 (C) (unannotated)
  • The deposit may pay rent and the damages the owner suffered because the resident did not comply with the rental agreement or the resident's duties in section 47-8-22, including unpaid rent or utilities, repair work and other legitimate damages; no deposit may be kept to cover normal wear and tearNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-18 (C)
  • The resident keeps the part of the premises they use as clean and safe as its condition permits and, when the residency ends, leaves the unit as clean as when it began, ordinary wear and tear excepted; the resident also disposes of waste cleanly, keeps plumbing fixtures clean, uses appliances and facilities reasonably, and does not deliberately or negligently damage the premises or knowingly let anyone else do soNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-22 (annotated) · NMSA 1978, s. 47-8-22 (unannotated)
  • An owner who does not give the written statement and the balance due within 30 days forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit, the right to counterclaim in a suit for the deposit, and the right to sue separately for damage to the property, and pays the resident's court costs and reasonable attorneys' feesNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-18 (D)
  • An owner who keeps a deposit in bad faith in violation of the section owes the resident a civil penalty of 250 dollarsNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-18 (E)
  • Unless agreed otherwise, the owner enters to inspect only after 24 hours' written notice of the intent to enter, the purpose, the date and a reasonable estimate of the time frame; no notice is needed for repairs or services within 7 days of the resident's request, or with a public official conducting an inspection; the owner tries to accommodate a reasonable alternate time the resident offers, may enter without consent in an emergency, and may not abuse accessNMSA 1978, s. 47-8-24 (annotated) · NMSA 1978, s. 47-8-24 (unannotated)

As clean as when the residency began

When the residency ends, the resident leaves the unit as clean as when it began, ordinary wear and tear excepted. During the residency the resident keeps the premises they use clean and safe, disposes of waste cleanly, keeps plumbing fixtures clean, uses appliances reasonably and does not damage the premises or let others do so.

The deposit may pay rent and the damages from not meeting those duties or the rental agreement, including unpaid rent or utilities and repair work, but never normal wear and tear. A dated move-in report is what shows how clean and sound the unit was when the residency began.

30 days, or the right to the deposit is gone

If there is actual cause to keep any of the deposit, the owner sends an itemized written list of the deductions and the balance within 30 days of the end of the rental agreement or the resident's departure, whichever is later. Mailing the statement and any payment to the resident's last known address counts.

An owner who misses it forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit, the right to counterclaim in a suit for it, and the right to sue separately for damage to the property, and pays the resident's court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees. Keeping a deposit in bad faith adds a civil penalty of 250 dollars.

Inspections during the residency

Unless the owner and resident agree otherwise, the owner enters to inspect only after 24 hours' written notice stating the intent to enter, the purpose, the date and a reasonable estimate of the time frame. No notice is needed for repairs or services within 7 days of the resident's request, or when a public official conducting an inspection is present. If the resident offers a reasonable alternate time, the owner tries to accommodate it. Emergencies need no consent, and access may not be abused.

From walkthrough notes to a finished New Mexico report

At move-in, note each room and how clean it is. At move-out, walk the same rooms and note what changed. ReportDraft writes each up room by room, keeps normal wear and tear out of the deductions, describes each item plainly enough for the itemized list, and leaves lines for the landlord and the tenant to sign.

Common mistakes

  • Missing the 30 days and losing the right to keep any of the deposit or to sue for damage.
  • Keeping deposit money for normal wear and tear.
  • Sending a total instead of an itemized written list with the balance.
  • Entering for an inspection without 24 hours' written notice of the purpose, date and time frame.
  • Having no move-in record of how clean the unit was when the residency began.

Sources

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Next review due January 10, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.