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Move-In Cost Planner
$9.99The cash a move actually takes, split into what comes back and what never does — because a deposit and an application fee are different kinds of money and averaging them hides the real cost. Covers the lines people plan for and the ones they do not: the overlap month when two leases run at once, utility deposits, cleaning the old place, and unpaid time off. Gives you the total as a multiple of one month's rent so you can see whether yours is normal, a straight answer on whether your cash covers it, and a before-you-sign checklist built around the evidence that actually decides a deposit dispute.
Format: Excel (.xlsx)
Look inside
Preview only — scroll to read it. The file you download is fully editable.
| Move-In Cost Planner | ||
| The cash a move actually takes, which is rarely the number in the listing. Deposits are the largest line and the one people plan for; the fees around them are smaller individually and larger together. Fill the blue cells — anything that does not apply stays at zero. | ||
| Part 1 — The place | ||
| Monthly rent | 1650 | |
| Move-in date | 2026-10-01 | For your own record. |
| Part 2 — Paid to the landlord before you get keys | ||
| First month's rent | 1650 | Almost always due at signing. |
| Last month's rent | 0 | Common in some markets, unheard of in others. Zero if not asked for. |
| Security deposit | 1650 | MANY STATES CAP THIS, commonly at one or two months' rent, and several require it held in a separate account with interest paid to you. Check your own state's landlord-tenant statute — this worksheet does not carry fifty rulebooks. |
| Pet deposit / pet rent (first payment) | 300 | Ask whether it is refundable. A 'pet fee' usually is not; a 'pet deposit' usually is. |
| Application / screening fee | 60 | Per applicant in most buildings, and capped by statute in some states. |
| Administrative or 'move-in' fee | 250 | Non-refundable almost everywhere it exists. Worth asking what it covers. |
| Broker fee | 0 | A market convention, not a law. In some cities it is one month's rent and is negotiable. |
| Key / fob / parking deposit | 75 | |
| Paid to the landlord | ƒx | |
| of which is REFUNDABLE | ƒx | Last month's rent and true deposits come back — eventually, and only if the place is returned in condition. Fees do not. |
| of which you will never see again | ƒx | |
| Part 3 — Paid to everyone else | ||
| Movers, or truck rental | 900 | Get two quotes. The spread on the same job is routinely large. |
| Packing supplies | 120 | |
| Storage, if there is a gap | 0 | |
| Overlap rent — paying two places at once | 550 | The line most often forgotten. If your new lease starts before your old one ends, this is real money. |
| Utility connection / transfer fees | 85 | |
| Utility deposits | 150 | Refundable, usually after a period of on-time payment. Some providers waive it on a credit check. |
| Internet installation | 99 | |
| Renters insurance — first payment | 18 | Frequently required by the lease. It is also the cheapest insurance most people can buy. |
| Cleaning of the OLD place | 180 | Cheaper than the deduction your old landlord would make for it. |
| Furniture and immediate essentials | 400 | |
| Time off work, if unpaid | 0 | |
| Paid to everyone else | ƒx | |
| Part 4 — What it comes to | ||
| TOTAL CASH REQUIRED | ƒx | |
| As a multiple of one month's rent | ƒx | Three to four is common. If yours is far above that, the reason is usually a broker fee or an overlap month. |
| Refundable portion you should get back | ƒx | Photograph everything on the day you move in, and again on the day you move out. It is the only evidence that decides a deposit dispute. |
| TRUE COST OF THE MOVE | ƒx | Total cash out, less what is genuinely coming back. This is the figure to carry into the renewal-versus-move comparison. |
| Part 5 — Can you cover it? | ||
| Cash you have available now | 5200 | |
| Shortfall | ƒx | Cash required, less cash on hand. Nothing above is optional once you have signed. |
| Verdict | ƒx | |
| DO NOT LET THE MOVE EMPTY YOUR EMERGENCY FUND. Moving is the point at which a household has the least slack and the highest chance of an unexpected cost, and a deposit is not a reserve — it is money you cannot reach for a year or more. | ||
| Part 6 — Before you sign | ||
| I have the lease in writing, and I have read the section on what the deposit can be deducted for | ||
| I know my state's cap on a security deposit, and this one is inside it | ||
| I know which of the fees above are refundable and which are not, in writing | ||
| I have photographed and dated every room, including existing damage | ||
| I have the move-in condition report, completed and signed by both parties | ||
| I know the notice period for leaving, and the renewal date | ||
| I know what the rent can be raised to, and when | ||
| Renters insurance is bound and starts on or before the move-in date | ||
| This worksheet is a general planning tool, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Rates, fees, and program limits vary by lender, location, and your individual circumstances — confirm real numbers with a lender before making a decision. For real, sourced state-by-state figures, see calculatorbystate.c… |
Preview shows the first 60 rows. The full worksheet continues for 8 more — the complete worksheet is in the download.
This template is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.