Documenting apartment handovers: what belongs in the handover report.

In short: A handover report records the condition in which an apartment was handed over at move-in or move-out. It should include the date, the people present, every room and its condition, all defects with description and photo, the meter readings, the keys handed over and the signatures of tenant and landlord. What both sign on that day is hard to dispute later – what is missing is hard to prove.

Why the handover report matters

Under German law, a handover report is not mandatory. In practice, however, it is the most important evidence when damage, redecoration or the deposit are discussed after move-out.

Time is also short: the landlord’s claims for changes or deterioration of the apartment become time-barred after six months, counted from the day the landlord gets the apartment back (Section 548 German Civil Code, BGB). If you only notice weeks later what is missing, there is little time left and often no evidence.

Note: This guide is not legal advice.

Checklist: what belongs in the handover report

• Type of handover: move-in or move-out
• Date and time of the inspection
• People present: tenant, landlord’s representative, witnesses if any
• Apartment: address, floor, location, additional rooms such as cellar or attic
• Tenancy agreement: number, start and end
• Tenant, at move-out with new address (for statements and the deposit)
• Each room separately: walls, ceiling, floor, windows, doors, electrics, shutters, radiators, fittings
• Defects: room, component, description and photo for each defect
• Agreed work with a deadline, e.g. “fill drill holes in the hallway by 15 Nov”
• Meter readings with meter type and meter number
• Keys: type, number and quantity – handed over at move-in, returned at move-out
• Signatures of both sides and a copy for each side

Describing condition and defects so there is no dispute later

• Describe, don’t judge: “six drill holes, living room, left wall” instead of “wall damaged”.
• One defect per entry, with room and component.
• Photos per room: one overview, plus one close-up per defect.
• Record “no defects” too. A room with no entry is unclear later.
• Be as thorough at move-in as at move-out. The move-in report is the comparison at move-out.

Meter readings and keys

Read all meters together: electricity, gas, cold and hot water, heat cost allocators, heat meters. Note the meter number with each reading and take a photo of the meter. That way readings and meters still match clearly in the service charge statement later.

For keys, an exact list matters: front door, apartment, cellar, mailbox, master key system – each with number and quantity. If a key is missing at move-out, it belongs in the report.

Not only when tenants change: regular property inspections

Property managers should also inspect their buildings regularly between tenancies. How often depends on the property and the management contract. Typical points of an inspection:

• Stairwell, corridors and escape routes clear and lit
• Cellar, attic and plant rooms
• Outdoor areas, paths, playground and bin area
• Visible damage to facade, roof and gutters
• Doors, locks and door entry system

Anything noticed during the inspection becomes an order: description, photo, priority, requested date and the contractor who will handle it.

Typical mistakes with paper reports

• Rooms are only described in general terms (“handed over renovated”).
• Photos sit on the property manager’s phone and can no longer be matched to an apartment.
• A meter number is missing, so the reading can’t be matched to a meter.
• The tenant receives their copy days later – or not at all.
• The report is retyped in the office, with delays and new errors.

How apartment handovers work with Formtastic

• Choose a template: Use the “Handover protocol” template and adapt it, recreate your existing report, or create it via chat with ChatGPT or Claude.
• Fill it in at the apartment: on a smartphone or tablet, even without a connection. Defects per room with photos, meter readings and keys as a list, both sides sign directly on the device.
• Finished report: The PDF in your own layout is emailed automatically to the tenant and the office. The data can also flow to Excel, Google Drive/Sheets, SFTP or a webhook.

These templates are available in Formtastic:

• Handover protocol: move-in or move-out, participants, apartment and contract data, new address and bank details at move-out, rooms with defects and photos per room, meter readings, keys, signatures
• Meter reading: property, meters with location, number, previous and current reading, photo
• Maintenance order: property, apartment, tenant, damage description with photo, priority, requested date, estimated costs and contractor
• Inspection: as your own form, e.g. built from the Checklist

More on the Real Estate & Property Management page. Already have your own handover report? Send it to us as a paper, PDF or Word form. We’ll set up your first template for free.

Conclusion

A good handover report is complete, unambiguous and in both parties’ hands right away. With a fixed template on the tablet, no room is forgotten, every defect has its photo and the report is signed before you leave the apartment.