Prove the date of your move-in photos
The date your phone puts on a photo comes from your phone’s clock, and anyone can change it. That is why some tenant unions still tell you to hold up the day’s newspaper in every shot. There are easier ways.
Seal your move-in photos, freePrintable checklist
Why the camera date is not enough
The date inside the file and the date some apps print on the picture are both written by your own phone. Change the phone’s clock and both change with it.
The Tenants Union of Washington State says small claims
Source: tenantsunion.orgjudges will often not accept camera date stampsbecause they can be tampered with.
Four ways, compared
- The day’s newspaper in every photoWho vouches for the date: The newspaper, roughlyIt proves “not before” that day, not “on” that day. Hard to do in every room, and few people buy a paper.
- A timestamp camera appWho vouches for the date: Your phoneThe date is printed on the picture by your phone, so it is the same camera date stamp, only easier to see.
- Emailing the photos to your landlord the same dayWho vouches for the date: The email servers and your landlordGood and free. But the photos get compressed, the thread gets lost, and an unanswered email is easy to say you never got.
- A sealed record (DepositSeal)Who vouches for the date: Our server, and your landlord if they confirmIt does not prove what a photo shows or where it was taken. The landlord may not answer; that is on the record too.
How DepositSeal does it
- Photograph each room.In the browser, with a short note per photo. The full photos stay on your phone.Kitchen
Damp stain above the windowBathroom - We seal the time.Our server writes its own clock time and the fingerprint of every photo, and signs it so it cannot be edited later.Sealed · 3 photos22 October 2026, 10:42Fingerprint: ce01432efcd46059abe9547fde85d172099b7bb3319ebf1c6e4623c9d0c80033
- Your landlord gets a link.They answer “I confirm” or leave observations. If they never answer, the record shows that it was sent.The landlord confirmed the condition22 October 2026, 18:05
What it proves, and what it does not
It shows that these exact photos existed at the time shown, that they were sent to your landlord and what they answered. Anyone can check a photo is the original: change a single pixel and the fingerprint no longer matches.
It does not prove what a photo shows or where it was taken. It is supporting evidence, not legal advice.
Moving in with a pet?
Scratched doors, chewed baseboards, marked floors and torn window screens are the usual deductions. Photograph those before your pet walks in, so nobody can say the marks came with it.
Tenant union or housing office?
You can link this page from your deposit guide. A paragraph ready to paste, or write to hello@depositseal.com.
This page is general information, not legal advice. How much weight any evidence carries depends on the case and on whoever decides it.