In short: a handover report is not a formality but the document the Polish tenants' rights act names as the basis for settlement when the flat is returned (art. 6c). It is drawn up twice — when the flat is handed over and when it is taken back — and its value depends on how precisely it describes wear and whether it comes with dated photographs. Below: the full list of items, how to describe condition, and the procedure if the tenant refuses to sign.
Why the report decides the dispute
In a deposit dispute it is the landlord who must show that the damage arose during the tenancy and goes beyond normal wear. Without a document from the day the keys were handed over there is no reference point: the tenant says the scratch on the floor was already there, the landlord says it was not, and the case comes down to who has better evidence. The report turns that argument into a comparison of two signed descriptions of the same flat on two dates.
The act goes further than common practice: art. 6c requires the report to be drawn up before the flat is handed over and to state the technical condition and degree of wear of installations and equipment. That document — not listing photos and not anyone's memory — is the basis for settlement.
What the report must contain
- date and place of preparation, and whether it covers handover or return,
- details identifying both parties and a reference to the tenancy agreement (number, date),
- address of the flat together with anything that belongs to it: cellar, storage unit, parking space,
- readings of every meter with serial numbers — electricity, gas, hot and cold water, heat meter,
- a description of each room: floors, walls, ceilings, windows, doors, installations,
- an inventory of furnishings with the condition of each item and, for appliances, serial numbers,
- the number of keys, remotes, entry-phone cards and codes handed over,
- the parties' remarks: every defect reported on the day of handover,
- signatures of both parties on every page.
Items such as the deposit amount, payment dates or utility settlement rules do not belong in the report — their place is in the agreement. If you are not sure what that should cover, check what a residential lease agreement must include and only then draw up the report as its annex.
How to describe condition so the description means something
“Walls — good condition” is not a description; it is an opinion that each side will read differently a year later. A description with evidentiary value names a specific feature and its location: “wall by the window — two plug marks, approx. 2 cm, filled; remaining walls undamaged”. Wherever you can, add a dimension and a count.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Living-room floor — worn | Laminate in the living room: wear patch by the balcony approx. 10 × 5 cm, no bulging; remaining surface undamaged |
| Fridge — works | Beko RCNA366 fridge, serial no. 1234567, working, door seal with a 3 cm crack |
| Bathroom — OK | Shower: glass without scratches, silicone at the tray discoloured; tap without leaks |
Photographs — how to take them so they count as evidence
Twenty to thirty photographs is a sensible minimum for a studio flat, proportionally more for a larger one. Shoot every room in two framings: a wide one (so it is clear which place it shows) and a close-up (so the defect is visible). Photograph every meter separately, so that the serial number and the reading are legible.
Photographs carry weight when their date can be established. File metadata is enough in most disputes, but the safest route is to attach a printout of thumbnails to the report and sign it together with the text — both parties then confirm those are the photos from that day. The same set comes back into play at move-out, when you compare condition and decide on deductions from the deposit; how to do that without a conflict is covered in the article on avoiding disputes when returning a deposit.
The move-out report — the other half of the document
A handover report without a move-out report is useless: it proves the initial condition but shows no difference. When taking the flat back, walk the same list in the same order, record meter readings and note every discrepancy against the original document. That difference — not a general impression — is what justifies deductions.
Record the date the keys were actually returned as well. The statutory deadline for refunding the deposit runs from that date, not from the end of the agreement.
When the tenant refuses to sign
A refusal does not invalidate the report. Draw it up unilaterally, describe the course of the inspection, note the refusal and the reason given, and if possible ask a witness to be present and sign. Email a scan to the tenant the same day, asking for objections within a set deadline. Silence after such a request is much harder to explain in a dispute than a missing signature.
The most common mistakes
- A report signed on the run, without walking the flat together — it loses evidentiary value for both sides.
- No meter serial numbers — when the supplier replaces a meter, the continuity of readings cannot be reconstructed.
- Skipping the extras — the cellar and the parking space come back as a surprise at settlement.
- A single copy — a document the other party does not hold is easy to challenge.
The report is one of several documents that keep a tenancy in order from day one. If you are building the process from scratch, start with the whole letting procedure step by step — the report belongs to the last step before the keys change hands.