Property handover record

Published byDocMuse

The document that decides whose the deposit is. It records the readings of every meter, the number of keys handed over, the contents and the condition of the property at that moment. It is completed both on moving in and on moving out — comparing the two records is the only objective evidence of what changed.

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This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.

Common questions

Why does this record matter so much?

Because the deposit is returned after deducting for damage, and damage is proved by comparing two states. The record made on moving in is the first of them. Without it a landlord cannot show that something was broken during the tenancy, nor a tenant that it was broken beforehand.

What must I put in it?

The readings of every meter with the date, the condition of the walls, floors and windows, the furnishings item by item, and every existing defect. Photographs help, but only if they are referred to in the record too — otherwise there is later an argument about when they were taken.

Is it signed again on moving out?

Yes, and that is its whole point. A second record is drawn up when the property is vacated, with fresh meter readings, and compared with the first. The difference between the two is what may be withheld from the deposit.

What if the landlord refuses to sign it?

Draw it up yourself, describe the condition, date it, and keep evidence that you offered it for signature. A record made by one side carries less weight than one made by both, but far more than nothing.