Old Home Handback Checklist

Who this is for

The last hour in the old home. Keys, meter readings, codes and leftover items are dealt with and written down before the door shuts, and both sides sign to say what was handed over.

Sellers handing over to a buyer or agent, and tenants returning a rented home to a landlord or letting agent.

What this helps you track

• Every key and fob, how many and who received them
• Final meter readings, with a photo taken of each
• Codes, manuals and a forwarding address left behind
• Each room walked, photographed and emptied
• A signature from both sides on the handback

How to use it

1. Fill in the address, the handback date and time, and who is receiving the property.
2. Count every key and fob and write down who they go to; do the same for each meter reading, photographing the display.
3. Work through the checklist and walk every room, leaving loft, garage and garden until last.
4. Sign the sheet with the receiving party and keep a copy, printed or saved in the browser version.
5. Pass the meter readings to your suppliers the same day.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why photograph every room?

Photos taken on the day, showing each room empty, are a simple record of the condition you left it in. They help if there is a later question about damage, cleaning or items left behind.

Who should sign the sheet?

You and whoever receives the keys: the agent, the buyer or the landlord. If nobody is there to receive them, note where the keys were left and when, and photograph that too.

Does this cover what a tenancy or sale contract requires?

No. Contracts and local rules differ, so check yours for anything specific about cleaning, fixtures or key return. This sheet records what you actually did on the day.