A busy handover can involve an outgoing household, an incoming household and several contractors. A single dated plan helps keep those arrangements separate and makes delays visible.
Confirm the sequence
Record the agreed departure arrangements, key return, condition inspection and proposed preparation work. Avoid promising a new move-in date before you know whether essential work can be finished. A convenient diary slot does not establish a legal right to enter or end a tenancy.
Preserve the evidence
Compare the end condition with the starting record, using dated photographs and clear descriptions. TDS guidance distinguishes damage from fair wear and tear; replacing something with a new item does not automatically justify charging its full price to the tenant. Handle any proposed deposit claim through the applicable process and evidence.
Keep contractors informed
Give each contractor a defined task, an agreed access arrangement and a contact for questions. Check that one job does not prevent another from starting. Record what has actually been completed rather than relying on an appointment date as proof.
Check the home before handover
Confirm the agreed work, keys and practical information are ready. Record unresolved items and communicate them clearly. Keep the outgoing tenancy's financial matters separate from the new household's move-in record so that one person's balance or complaint is not accidentally attributed to another.
Editorial review: 14 October 2026. This original Property Perpetuity guide replaces the imported text; the original archive publication date is retained.