Term
Handover certificate
The document by which an apartment, house or work is handed over; it records the property's condition, keys, meter readings and defects.
Also known as: acceptance certificate, handover act
A handover certificate is the document by which a developer or seller hands over an apartment, a house or completed work, and the buyer or client accepts it. The certificate records the date, the condition of the property, meter readings, keys and defects.
Why defects are written in before signing
A signed certificate without remarks means you accepted the property in its current condition. After that it is much harder to prove that a crack, a leak or an uneven screed were there from the start. So first the inspection, then a list of defects with photos written into the certificate or attached to it, and only then the signature. The deadline for fixing the defects is recorded too. If the developer refuses to include remarks, they can be set out in a separate letter with photos and sent in a way that leaves proof of sending.
Accepting an apartment by certificate: what we check
Area and ceiling height, flatness of slabs and walls, windows and balcony doors, electricity, water and sewerage connections, ventilation, traces of water. If the apartment is finished, also the tiles, doors and sanitary ware. How we carry out acceptance is described on the page about accepting a house or apartment from the developer, and acceptance followed by launching the letting on the page about taking over an apartment from the developer.