One room changes hands.
The record stays.
In a German WG the deposit goes to the main tenant – usually in cash, usually with no protocol. BildProof captures the room and the shared spaces in one sweep and seals the photos with an independent EU timestamp: at move-in and at move-out.
Two sides, one room, no protocol
The WG is the most common handover in Germany – and the least documented.
You are liable to the landlord for the whole flat.
Including the room a flatmate left three years ago. One record per changeover captures who took over what – and who handed back what.
Your deposit sits with a private person.
No deposit account, no form. Your own scan at move-in is the proof that lets you show, not argue, at move-out.
That is why what was captured at move-in counts – for the room, and for the kitchen, bathroom and hallway everyone shares.
What BildProof captures in a WG room
The room and the shared spaces
A guided AR scan across the room's walls, floor and ceiling, then kitchen, bathroom and hallway. The app measures how much of each room was actually captured.
Sealed & timestamped
A fingerprint over every photo plus an official EU timestamp (qualified eIDAS timestamp). Any later change breaks the seal visibly.
One record per changeover
Every flatmate's move-in and move-out sit between two sealed records. The move-out record compares itself with the move-in of the same room, finding by finding.
What BildProof does not do: we don't decide whether a scratch is normal wear or damage. The record holds both views, with photo and time. What follows is for the people involved to settle – on a basis both of them hold. In the app, pick “I live in a shared flat” at the start; the app then asks for the room instead of the apartment.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a handover protocol in a shared flat?
Yes, especially there. The deposit for a room in a WG usually goes to the main tenant, often in cash and without any protocol. At move-out, both sides' memory decides. A sealed, timestamped record captures the condition of the room and the shared spaces before it becomes a question.
Who should scan: the main tenant or the flatmate?
Either can. It pays off most for the main tenant: they are liable to the landlord for the whole flat, including rooms that were passed on long ago. Whoever moves in secures the room deposit with their own scan. The record goes to both by email, and both hold the same one.
Does this apply to sublets and interim lets (Zwischenmiete)?
Yes. Every time a room is handed over against a deposit, it is a handover. The record documents the condition at move-in and at move-out, whether or not there is a written sublease.
What does a WG room handover cost?
Scanning is free. Sending costs €9.99 per changeover: the move-in record and the later move-out record of the same room are included.
The law in a shared flat
Who is liable, who holds the deposit, and what to record when a room changes hands.
WG room: getting the Übergabeprotokoll right
The room and the shared spaces both belong in it, and the Hauptmieter signs it.
Getting your Kaution back from the Hauptmieter
§ 551 BGB applies to sublets too: the ceiling, the review period, the limitation date.
Moving out: how long am I liable?
On a joint tenancy you stay liable until the landlord releases you (§ 421 BGB).
Zwischenmiete: documenting the handover
A few weeks' let, the same burden of proof, and two records close together.
New to subletting here? Subletting a room in Germany: what to check first →
Next changeover coming up?
Scan the room before the key changes hands. The record goes to both of you by email.