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Move-in inventory report template for Germany

Handover report (move-in and move-out)Wohnungsübergabeprotokoll (Einzug und Auszug)

The report that records the condition of a let home room by room when the tenant receives the keys and when the tenant returns them, with meter readings, keys and agreed repairs. No law prescribes it, but it is the main evidence in disputes about damage and the deposit.

Draw it up together, landlord or manager and tenant, on the day of the move-in and again on the day of the move-out. Use the same layout both times so each line can be compared. Use it for any residential lease, furnished or not. For a furnished home, add a list of the furniture and its condition.

Reviewed October 28, 2026. Not legal advice. Have a notary or lawyer check your case before you sign.

Key facts

Applies to
Whole country
Legal form
None prescribed. The report is evidence agreed by both parties.
Normal wear
The tenant is not responsible for changes caused by contractual use (BGB § 538).
Landlord's damage claims
Time-barred 6 months after the landlord gets the home back (BGB § 548(1)).
Tenant's claims for outlays
Time-barred 6 months after the end of the tenancy (BGB § 548(2)).
Deposit return
No fixed legal deadline. Due once the landlord has no remaining claims from the tenancy (AG Dortmund, 425 C 5350/17).
Operating cost statement
Due within 12 months after the end of the accounting period, so meter readings at move-out matter (BGB § 556(3)).

The document

Text shown

You sign the German version. The English version helps you understand it. Your answers fill both.

Handover report (move-in and move-out)

  1. 1.General information

    1. 1.1

      Type of handover: Type of report. Date and time: Date and time of the handover. Flat: Address of the home. Lease dated Date of the lease.

    2. 1.2

      Landlord: Landlord. Tenant: Tenant or tenants. Present: Persons present.

      Give each person's name and role. A witness who is not a party can help if there is a dispute later.

  2. 2.Meter readings

    1. 2.1

      Electricity: Electricity meter number and reading. Gas: Gas meter number and reading. Water (cold and hot): Water meters: numbers and readings. Heat meter or heat cost allocators: Heat meter or one reading per allocator.

      Give each meter number and reading, and photograph each meter. The tenant reports electricity and gas readings to the supplier.

  3. 3.Keys

    1. 3.1

      Keys handed over or returned: Keys.

      List the number and type: front door, flat, cellar, letterbox, garage. At move-out, the tenant returns all keys, including copies the tenant made.

  4. 4.Condition of the rooms

    1. 4.1

      For each room, the floor, walls, ceiling, windows, doors, radiators, sockets, switches and lighting are described. Rating for each item: as new, good, used with normal signs of wear, or damaged, each with a precise description.

      Use the same ratings at move-out so each line can be compared.

    2. 4.2

      Hall: Hall: condition.

    3. 4.3

      Living room: Living room: condition.

    4. 4.4

      Bedroom: Bedroom: condition.

      Add one line for each further room.

    5. 4.5

      Kitchen, including sink, taps, worktop, cupboards and appliances let with the flat: Kitchen: condition and appliances.

      Test each appliance and record whether it works.

    6. 4.6

      Bathroom and WC, including basin, bath or shower, toilet, taps, tiles, joints and ventilation: Bathroom and WC: condition.

      Look for mould, cracked tiles and leaking seals.

    7. 4.7

      Balcony, cellar and other rooms: Balcony, cellar, other rooms: condition.

    8. 4.8

      Smoke alarms: Smoke alarms.

      Give the number of alarms and their rooms. Press the test button of each alarm and record the result.

  5. 5.Defects and agreements

    1. 5.1

      Defects and damage found: Defects found.

      Give each defect, its place and whether it existed at move-in. At move-in, list every existing defect so it cannot be charged to the tenant later.

    2. 5.2

      Agreed work: Repairs agreed.

      Name who does the work and the deadline.

  6. 6.Move-out only

    1. 6.1

      Optional

      Condition of the decoration: Decoration condition at move-out.

      Whether the tenant owes decoration depends on a valid lease clause. Normal wear from contractual use is not damage.

    2. 6.2

      Optional

      Tenant's new address: Tenant's new address. Account for the deposit return: Account for the deposit return.

      Delete this section in a move-in report.

  7. 7.Observations and photos

    1. 7.1

      Observations and objections of the parties: Observations and objections. Number of photos attached: Number of photos attached.

      A party who disagrees with a line writes the objection here before signing.

  8. 8.Signatures

    1. 8.1

      The parties confirm that this report correctly records the condition of the flat at the handover. Each party receives a signed copy. Place, Date and time of the handover. Signature of the landlord or the landlord's representative. Signature of all tenants.

      What both parties sign is strong evidence. Do not sign a line you dispute without writing your objection.

Formalities

  1. No form is required. Walk through every room together and fill in the report on the spot.
  2. The landlord and every tenant sign each page. Each party keeps a signed copy.
  3. Take dated photos and refer to them in the report.
  4. Note every meter number and reading.
  5. If you disagree on a point, write down both views and then sign. Do not refuse to sign.

Common mistakes

  • Writing "in Ordnung" for a whole room. Describe floors, walls, ceilings, windows, doors and each fitting, and note every mark, hole or stain with its place.
  • Skipping photos. Dated photos referred to in the report settle most disputes.
  • Forgetting meter numbers and readings, including heat cost allocators on the radiators. Without them the last statement is hard to split.
  • Signing an exit report that lists damage you dispute. Write your objection next to the line before you sign.
  • Charging normal wear to the tenant. Faded paint, light scratches from furniture and worn carpet from normal use are the landlord's risk.
  • Leaving the new address blank at the move-out. The landlord needs it for the deposit and the last operating cost statement.
  • Waiting too long after the move-out. The landlord's claims for damage become time-barred six months after the landlord gets the home back.

Legal basis

Sources

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