DepositProof is a single spine for the California security deposit turnover — designed so the move-in photos, deduction receipts, and 21-day accounting letter are all the same document, ready for the tenant and ready for court.
Under California Civil Code §1950.5, landlords have 21 days to return the security deposit or deliver an itemized written statement of deductions — with receipts attached. Miss the deadline and you forfeit every deduction. Arrive in small claims court without a court-ready security deposit deduction packet and the judge fills in the gaps. DepositProof builds that packet from the first key handoff.
Phase 01 · Day 0
Walk the unit before the keys change hands.
The baseline is the only documentation that ever gets harder to take later. DepositProof prompts you through every room on move-in day so the photos you'll lean on a year from now actually exist — and are tagged.
Room-by-room prompts — We suggest the rooms; you confirm or add.
Auto-thumbnail — Photos normalize and compress automatically — no 12MB iPhone shots clogging the packet.
One link to the tenant — Optional acknowledgment by the incoming tenant, with a timestamp.
Move-in evidence
2410 Belmont · Unit B · Sep 12, 2024
Baseline complete
Kitchen8 photos
Living room6 photos
Bedroom 15 photos
Bedroom 24 photos
Bathroom4 photos
Hallway3 photos
Move-in shot
Sep 12, 2024 · 9:14 AM
Move-out · today
BURNER
May 14, 2026 · 10:02 AM
Linked to issue · Burner damageauto-tagged
Phase 02 · Day 1
On move-out day, side-by-side capture.
The mobile capture flow pulls the move-in shot of the same wall as you're holding the phone up. New issues get tagged before the shutter clicks. Two taps from the front door to a tagged photo on the right tenant.
Tag-before-shutter — Room + issue pre-filled by your position in the walk.
Side-by-side comparison — Move-in shot of the same wall, automatically.
Offline-tolerant — Basements, back rooms — photos sync when you're back on cell.
Phase 03 · Day 3–10
Three outcomes. No grey area.
Each issue resolves to one of three things: charge the tenant, note-but-don't-charge, or flag for follow-up. The 'noted' items still appear in the packet — transparency is what disarms disputes.
Charge tenant — Amount, vendor, photos, receipt — all in one place.
Note, don't charge — Absorb with a reason. Optional 'show in packet' toggle.
Flag for follow-up — Out of v1 packet, into your escalation queue. Nothing falls off the radar.
Issue · #3 of 6
Burner damage · kitchen
Captured May 14, 10:02 AM · 3 photos
Outcome
Charge tenant
$240.00 · Burner damage · BayAppliance estimate
Selected
Note, don't charge
Tile chip · backsplash · wear & tear
Flag for follow-up
Hallway scuff · need contractor walk
Item readinessWell-supported
Receipts & invoices
4 attached · 1 estimate
Sparkle Co. #4421
Cleaning · stove · range hood · May 16
Invoice
$295.00
BayAppliance · estimate⁂
Burner repair · pending invoice · May 22
Estimate
$240.00
FloorPro #882
Carpet replacement · 220 sq ft · May 19
Invoice
$420.00
CleanHaul receipt
Trash haul · 2 cuyd · May 15
Invoice
$35.00
Total receipts$990.00
Phase 04 · Day 7–18
Receipts attach to deductions, not folders.
The contractor invoice belongs with the burner damage. The vendor quote belongs with the carpet line. Receipts that are still estimates stay flagged with a ⁂ in the packet — disclosed, not hidden.
Drag-and-drop attach — From email or your phone, straight onto the deduction.
Estimate-only? ⁂ — We footnote it in the packet so disputes don't surprise you.
Vendor history — Pull a previous vendor's rate sheet onto a new tenant in one click.
Phase 05 · Day 21
The packet you'd want, if you were the tenant.
A 12-page accounting: cover letter, itemized table, before/after spreads, and a receipts appendix. The same document, every time. Transparent. Boring. Defensible.
Noted, not charged: Tile chip · backsplash (normal wear)
Issue #1 · Burner damage
Move-in
Move-out
BayAppliance estimate $240 · photo 2 of 3
DepositProof
May 23, 2026
Jordan Lee 2410 Belmont Ave, Unit B San Francisco, CA 94117
Re: Security Deposit Accounting
Dear Jordan Lee,
Pursuant to California Civil Code §1950.5, this letter provides an itemized accounting of deductions from the security deposit for the above-referenced property.
Respectfully, Alex Chen Owner, 2410 Belmont Ave
12 pages · letter · portrait
Simple pricing
Pay per packet you actually send.
No seat fees, no per-property fees. Draft tenants stay free until you click export.