Handover in 20 minutes.
Report sent before you leave.
Photo walkthrough, meter readings, defects with AR measurements, signatures from both parties — all on the iPhone, finished as a PDF with letterhead. For landlords, property managers and tenants.
7-day pro trial. Cancel anytime.
Definition
What is a property handover report?
A property handover report (also called a move-in / move-out inspection or condition report) is the written record of a rental property’s condition at handover. It documents room-by-room state, pre-existing defects, meter readings, and the number of keys handed over. It serves both parties as evidence — at move-out it decides who is liable for damage and how much of the deposit is returned.
A report is written at every handover: move-in, move-out, tenant change, sign-off after renovation. The party without a report carries the burden of proof in court — for damage, for deposit disputes, for renovation claims.
What goes in
What every handover report should contain.
Eight items belong in every complete handover report. Miss one and the evidentiary value drops sharply in a dispute. DokuAI walks you through each — photo, voice, number, signature.
- 01 Date, time and full address of the property
- 02 Names, addresses and roles (landlord, tenant, property manager)
- 03 Meter readings: electricity, gas, cold/hot water, heating (with photo)
- 04 Room-by-room condition with photos
- 05 Pre-existing defects — located, described, classified
- 06 Number, type and photo of keys handed over
- 07 Notes on tenant obligations (redecoration, special use)
- 08 Signatures of both parties — on the spot
Features
Four tools that make handovers stress-free.
01 / 04
Meter readings with photo evidence
Every reading is photographed — the AI reads the digits from the image, you just confirm. End of the "you wrote it down wrong" argument.
02 / 04
AR measurement on damage
Crack, hole, burn mark — tap two points in the photo, the size is drawn as a line and stored in the PDF. On iPhone 12 Pro+ ±0.5 cm accurate. The damage scope is not negotiable later.
03 / 04
Both parties sign on site
Tenant and landlord sign on the screen. Any number of signatures per report — property manager and witnesses can sign too. Each signature is stamped with the time.
04 / 04
PDF with letterhead, sent from the stairwell
Property management logo, address, tenancy reference — set once, applied to every handover report. Sent via WhatsApp, email or cloud before you sit back in the car.
Use cases
Four handover situations, one tool.
-
01 / 04
Move-in
The tenant documents the state of the property before unpacking. Any pre-existing defect not captured now will be charged against the deposit at move-out.
-
02 / 04
Move-out
The landlord compares condition to the move-in report. Differences get photo evidence, new defects get classified, redecoration scope is named explicitly.
-
03 / 04
Tenant change without vacancy
Three parties, one appointment, one shared report — all three sign on screen, no postal back-and-forth.
-
04 / 04
Sign-off after renovation
The landlord verifies the contractor’s work against the agreed scope. Defects get AR-measured in the photo, the contractor receives the snag list as a PDF immediately.
Who it’s for
Five profiles, one concrete benefit.
| Role | Concrete benefit |
|---|---|
| Property management | 20+ handovers per month without an Excel template or Word letterhead. Each staff member uses their own iPhone, consistent corporate design on every PDF. |
| Private landlord | Doing your first handover, no template hunting required. The AI structures the report to legal standard, the app guides you through. |
| Tenant at move-in | Your own evidence record with photos and AR measurements. If the landlord challenges deposit deductions at move-out, you have the file in your pocket. |
| Real-estate inspector | Condition surveys for insurance claims. Photo + voice → a structured report in minutes instead of hours. |
| Facilities manager | Handover of common areas, refuse rooms, underground garage. Multiple signatures per report (board, manager, caretaker). |
FAQ
Common questions about handover reports.
Updated: June 2026
Is a property handover report legally required?
In most common-law jurisdictions (US, UK, Australia, Canada), there is no statutory obligation — but case law and tenancy regulations make it the standard of practice. In Germany the principle is similar (§ 535 BGB framework). In France the "état des lieux" IS legally mandated (Loi du 6 juillet 1989). Either way, without a report the party making a damage or deposit claim carries the burden of proof — which usually means losing.
What should a property handover report contain?
Address, date, both parties’ details, meter readings for all utilities (electricity, gas, cold/hot water, heating) with photos, room-by-room condition with photos, pre-existing defects located and described, number and type of keys with a photo of the bunch, notes on redecoration and special-use rules, signatures of both parties. DokuAI walks you through each of these.
Who is liable for damage without a handover report?
The party making the claim carries the burden of proof. At move-out that means: the landlord must prove the damage wasn’t there at handover — and without a report they usually can’t. Conversely, the tenant loses deposit chunks for "damage" they can’t disprove. The report breaks the symmetry.
Who receives the handover report?
Both parties — tenant and landlord. With property management, the management archive too. DokuAI exports as a PDF and sends it via WhatsApp, email, or to a cloud drive in one tap.
Do meter readings have to be photographed?
Recommended, not required. In practice the photo is the only protection against the "you wrote it down wrong" accusation. DokuAI photographs the meter, the AI reads the value, you confirm — photo and number land in the report together.
How do I document the key handover correctly?
List the number per lock type separately: front door, mailbox, basement, refuse room, garage, common areas, bike storage. DokuAI has a dedicated key field in the handover workflow, with an optional photo of the bunch.
What if the tenant refuses to sign?
The refusal is noted in the report — DokuAI has a field for this. The report remains valid as a landlord-signed record because every datum is timestamped and backed by photos. Adding a witness who also signs is the cleanest mitigation.
Does the app work without internet?
Capture works completely offline — photos, voice notes, meter readings and signatures live on the iPhone. AI structuring and PDF export need a connection; once you have signal the app picks up where it left off. You never lose anything, even in a basement dead-zone.
What does the property handover app cost?
7-day pro trial, cancel anytime. After that, Apple subscription — current pricing is in the App Store. For property managers with multiple staff: each person uses their own subscription, no centralised setup required.
Does it also work for construction sites?
Yes — that’s the original use case. Property handovers are a special case of site documentation: photo + voice + signature, done. For site managers and contractors we have a dedicated site documentation app page.
Next handover — report sent before you leave.
7-day pro trial. First handover documented in 20 minutes.
More use cases: Site documentation for contractors