Handover Protocol for the Apartment Handover

Hand over room by room: per-room table, meter readings, defect list, key handover and lifespan table against unjustified deductions. As a Word template and as a fillable PDF for your phone.

Checked on 21 August 2026 by Jens Herbst, BoVitaWe keep every document current and check it regularly against the sources.

Who is this document for?

For tenants and landlords at move-in and move-out; the protocol protects both sides, especially against unjustified deposit deductions.

What you are entitled to, before you download anything

Only the current value may be deducted. Once the service life has expired, that value is zero and there is nothing left to deduct, whatever the condition.

ItemService life
Fitted carpet, medium quality10 years
Interior paint, emulsion or distemper8 years
Wallpaper, woodchipPaintable wallpaper has 24 years, glass fibre 20. Check which type is on the wall.10 years
Linoleum and rigid PVCApplies equally to rubber and vinyl.20 years
Parquet sealingThis is the item charged at handover. The parquet itself lasts longer: multi-layer 30 years, solid 40.10 years
Cooker and oven15 years
Dishwasher15 years
Fridge with integrated freezerShorter than the other kitchen appliances. A blanket figure for all of them is wrong.10 years

How to calculate: A fitted carpet lasts 10 years. If it is 8 years old at move-out, you carry 20 per cent of its current value, not the price of a new one.

And on the deposit: if the landlord has not LEGALLY asserted a claim within one year of the tenancy ending, meaning debt enforcement, a conciliation request or a court action, you can demand the money back directly from the bank (Art. 257e para. 3 CO). A reminder letter is not enough.

Source: Paritaetische Lebensdauertabelle, HEV Schweiz und Mieterinnen- und Mieterverband Deutschschweiz. As of: 1 February 2024.

What is inside

  • Room-by-room table with condition per element
  • Meter reading fields (electricity, water, heating)
  • Defect list with photo reference space
  • Key handover block and signatures
  • Lifespan table: what counts as normal wear and what does not

How to fill it in

  1. 1Fill the protocol DURING the walkthrough, not after; photograph every noted defect.
  2. 2Record meter readings first, they cannot be reconstructed later.
  3. 3Both parties sign and each keeps a copy (photo or scan is fine).

Frequently asked questions

For move-in and move-out of flats and rooms, from both tenant and landlord perspective; it also works for sublets and shared-flat room changes.

Signed, it documents the condition with evidentiary weight for both sides; that is exactly why every defect belongs in it before signing.

Record the item anyway and note the disagreement ('disputed'); a noted dispute is worth more later than an empty field.

It shows how long carpet, paint or appliances last on paper; normal wear according to lifespan must not be deducted from your deposit.

They are identical in content: same structure, same legal notes. Word if you want to add rooms or rearrange rows. The PDF if you want to type straight into it on your phone or tablet at the handover: it carries 32 real form fields and looks the same on every device.

Both parties may need a protocol spontaneously on handover day; that is why both formats download directly.

If the template alone is not enough

In-depth guideRental Deposit in Switzerland, How to Hand Over Without Disputes (incl. Handover Checklist Template)The article goes deeper than the document: deadlines, examples and where to turn.Let it fill itself inrental deposit switzerlandThe tool does the same work, just without the typing.

What this document is based on

Every provision is checked against the wording of the consolidated version. The links lead straight to the federal statute.

  • OR Art. 257e · Sicherheiten der Mietenden

    The deposit sits on a savings account or securities deposit in the TENANT's name. For residential premises at most three months' rent may be required. The bank releases it only with both parties' consent, or on the basis of a final payment order or a final court judgment. If the landlord has not LEGALLY asserted a claim within one year of the tenancy ENDING, tenants can demand the money back directly from the bank. A reminder or demand letter is not a legal assertion.

    OR Art. 257e Abs. 1 bis 3, SR 220 · Status 01.01.2026

  • OR Art. 267a · Pruefung der Sache und Meldung an die Mietenden

    At handover the LANDLORD must inspect the condition and report defects for which tenants are responsible IMMEDIATELY. Failing that, they lose their claims, except for defects not detectable in a customary inspection. On move-out tenants therefore need not record anything the landlord has not objected to. On MOVE-IN the opposite holds: whatever is missing from the protocol is later attributed to the tenant.

    OR Art. 267a Abs. 1 und 2, SR 220 · Status 01.01.2026

When the document alone is not enough

In tenancy matters the conciliation procedure is free of charge. You need no lawyer, and the authority also gives advice.

Find the conciliation authority of your cantonSwiss Tenants' AssociationAdvice, fact sheets and template letters (in German)

Looking for a room, not just documents?

BoVita rents furnished shared rooms with all-in rent in Aarau, Wohlen, St. Gallen and Brugg. Reply within 48 hours on working days.

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