Flat handover checklist

Why preparation pays off

No law requires a handover protocol, but it is your most important evidence: it records the condition of the flat at move-in and at move-out, which meter readings applied and how many keys changed hands. Without a protocol you can hardly prove whether damage already existed at move-in.

At move-out there is more: what you could have seen and did not record, you often cannot claim later.

The order of the handover

A flat handover runs in six steps: arrange the appointment, prepare the protocol, inspect every room, read all meters together, count the keys and have both sides sign at the end. Allow about an hour and schedule it in daylight.

1. Arrange a date with your tenant and bring a witness if needed, especially if you expect a dispute.
2. Prepare the protocol: enter rooms, meter numbers and keys in advance; at move-out bring the move-in protocol and the lease.
3. Inspect room by room: walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, radiators and sanitary fittings, plus cellar, attic, garage and balcony.
4. Read all meters together and record reading and meter number: electricity, gas, water and heat cost allocators.
5. Count the keys by type and number, with the number for master key systems.
6. Have both sides sign the protocol and give each side a copy.

How to record defects properly

Record a defect so that a third party could find it without you: what, where and how big, plus a photo with an object for scale and the date and time stored. “Signs of wear” alone helps nobody later, because nobody knows which signs were meant.

Also check what you do not notice in everyday life: open, close and lock windows and doors, and test the smoke alarms.

What to do after move-in

After move-in you issue the landlord's confirmation of residence within two weeks (§ 19 BMG), check that the deposit has arrived and report the meter readings to utilities and the metering service. Without the confirmation your tenant cannot register.

The deposit may be at most three months' net rent, and your tenant may pay it in three monthly instalments (§ 551 BGB). You calculate the limit and the due dates with the rent deposit calculator. Also hand over the house rules and have the doorbell and letterbox labels put up.

Which deadlines run after move-out

After move-out one deadline matters most: claims for damage to the flat become time-barred six months after the return (§ 548 BGB). Before you claim costs, set your former tenant a reasonable written deadline to remedy the damage.

You settle the deposit within a reasonable period, usually after three to six months. The often-quoted six months come from the limitation period; they are not a fixed repayment deadline.

Note your tenant's new address and arrange an interim reading of heat cost allocators through your metering service; it is mandatory when the occupant changes (§ 9b HeizkostenV). You split the service charges for the billing year to the day with the change-of-tenant service charge calculator.

Typical handover mistakes

Most disputes after a handover go back to a few mistakes that preparation avoids: too little light, descriptions that are too vague and documents that only one side has.

• Handover in the evening under artificial light, so stains and scratches go unnoticed.
• Only the meter reading noted, without the meter number.
• Cellar, attic, garage or balcony forgotten.
• Protocol not signed or no copy for your tenant.
• Letting the six months under § 548 BGB pass while you wait for tradespeople's quotes.

If the handover is part of a change of tenant, the change of tenant checklist plans the steps before and after.