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Move-in handover record and defects list, in German (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in German
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This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
Made for use in Switzerland
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For tenants and landlords in Switzerland when a flat is handed over at the start of a lease: the record both fill in and sign together — meter readings, keys, the condition of each room, defects found, work agreed and, on request, the previous tenant's return record and rent (Art. 256a of the Code of Obligations, OR). A second part is for defects found only after moving in: the defects list the tenant signs and has receipted. Print two copies and sign at the walk-through. In German.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You are moving into a rented flat in Switzerland and want the condition recorded at the handover.
- At the handover you see scratches, stains and a dripping tap and want it all noted.
- A few days after moving in you find defects the record left out.
- You do not want to answer later at move-out for damage the previous tenants left.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Handover date
- Address of the property
- Date of the contract
- Landlord
- Landlord's address
- Tenant
- Previous tenant's return record: seen, not asked for, none made, or first letting
- Rent of the previous tenancy, if you asked for it (CHF per month)
- Electricity meter reading
- Gas meter reading
- Cold water meter reading
- Hot water meter reading
- Heating meter reading
- Keys to the building and flat door (number)
- Mailbox keys (number)
- Keys to the cellar, loft or bike room (number)
- Other keys, chips or cards (kind and number)
- Condition: hall, entrance, storeroom
- Condition: living room
- Condition: bedroom
- Condition: other rooms
- Condition: kitchen
- Condition: bathroom and WC
- Condition: balcony, cellar, loft
- Defects noted
- What the landlord will still fix, and by when
- City
- Date
- Date of the later defects list
- Defects found after moving in (room, place, what)
Common questions
- Must a Swiss landlord show me the previous tenant's move-out record?
- Yes, if a return record was made when your predecessor moved out and you ask for it at the handover: the landlord must let you see it (Art. 256a para. 1 OR). It shows which defects were already noted then. You can also ask to be told the rent of the previous tenancy (para. 2), which helps you spot an excessive initial rent. Section 1 of the record notes both.
- By when must I report defects found after moving into a Swiss flat?
- As soon as possible, and in writing. The statute sets no period, but many leases do, and the lease's period comes first. In the canton of Vaud the tenant reports defects not noted as soon as the record is received, otherwise it counts as accepted (art. 1 para. 5 RULV). Use the second part of this document, send it by registered post or have its receipt signed, and keep a copy with photos. Without a report, the landlord may claim at move-out that the defect arose during your tenancy.
- Do I have to sign a Swiss handover record I disagree with?
- No. The law does not require a record at all; it serves both sides as evidence. Sign only what matches the condition, and enter any disagreement in section 5 before signing. The signature confirms the condition found; it does not accept liability for any defect. Dated photos add to the record. Defects the landlord must put right go in section 6 with a date.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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