Preparing the move-out inspection: a checklist for property managers
What to do before, during and after the Abnahme, so your findings hold up later.
Bring the move-in record with photos, the tenancy agreement and the meter numbers, and inspect the empty flat in daylight. Record only what you really checked, and settle promptly.
What belongs to the inspection?
An inspection is a comparison with move-in. For that you need the right records and a fixed routine in every room.
- 1
Move-in record
The move-in record with photos is the basis for every comparison.
- 2
Tenancy agreement
Bring the tenancy agreement with a checked Schönheitsreparaturen clause, and the meter numbers.
- 3
Empty flat
Inspect in daylight after the move-out, because you cannot assess what is behind furniture.
- 4
Every room
Walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, radiators from behind too, sockets and switches.
- 5
Kitchen and bathroom
Silicone joints, tiles, taps, the shower screen, and inside the oven and fridge.
- 6
Often forgotten
Roller shutter straps and boxes, the balcony, and the cellar or loft compartment.
Why this matters
If you certify a blanket defect-free condition at the return, that can amount to a negative acknowledgement (§ 397 Abs. 2 BGB), and later claims for that condition are excluded. On top of that, damage claims become time-barred six months after the return (§ 548 Abs. 1 BGB).
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What if the tenant does not attend or refuses to sign?
Record the condition in full with photos anyway, and note the absence with date and time. Then send the record to the tenant.
How quickly must you settle after the inspection?
Promptly, because damage claims become time-barred six months after the return (§ 548 Abs. 1 BGB). For the Kaution statement, a review period of usually three to six months applies.
Why should the record never say a blanket “no defects”?
A blanket confirmation of a defect-free condition can amount to a negative acknowledgement (§ 397 Abs. 2 BGB). Later claims for that condition are then excluded. So record only what you really checked.
Also in this topic: Recording condition before building workProperty manager documentation duties to ownersDocumenting a vacant unit: for owners and insurers
Next inspection coming up?
Walk every unit room by room with the same routine, and record only what you checked. BildProof captures every handover the same way, whoever does it, and creates a condition report.
See BildProof for property managers