Handover Checklist for a New Apartment: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Before Handover: Preparation

Taking delivery of a new apartment is exciting, yet it is also a step that demands care. The moment you receive the keys, the responsibility to assess whether the home matches what was promised in the contract begins with you. So arrive at the handover prepared.

Bring the following: a mobile phone (for photos and video), a notebook or a printout of this guide, a simple spirit level, a small charger or a socket tester to check the outlets, a marble or tennis ball (to reveal floor slope) and, if possible, an experienced friend or relative. Whenever you can, conduct the handover during the day in natural light; flaws in joinery, glazing and paintwork are far more visible in daylight.

Why the Handover Report Matters

The heart of the handover process is the handover report. This document records, with both parties' signatures, the exact condition in which the apartment is delivered. What counts is the written record, not verbal agreements.

Make sure the report includes:

• ·The apartment number, block and handover date
• ·Every defect and shortcoming listed individually
• ·A reasonable date by which each item will be remedied
• ·Meter readings (electricity, water, gas) recorded as read
• ·The number of keys handed over and which doors they belong to
• ·The signatures of both parties

A key rule: do not sign the report as "received in perfect condition" before you have inspected for defects. If there are shortcomings, have them written into the report; if you have a doubt you cannot resolve, sign with a reservation. Always keep a copy of every document you sign.

Room-by-Room Interior Inspection

Do not wander at random — walk the apartment systematically. Start in one room and move clockwise, checking every wall, corner and ceiling. Apply the headings below in each space.

• ·Wet areas (bathroom, kitchen, toilet): Look for cracks, hollow spots (a drum-like sound when tapped means a void underneath) and grouting flaws in tiles and ceramics. Pour water into the sink, toilet and shower drains to confirm it flows away cleanly. Check that the silicone sealing is neat and complete.
• ·Plumbing and water pressure: Open every tap; confirm the pressure is adequate and the flow runs clear. Test that hot water arrives within a reasonable time. Inspect connection points, traps and the area around drains for any sign of leakage.
• ·Electrical installation: Try every switch and socket in each room. Confirm the fuse panel is labelled and use the test button to verify the residual-current device (the life-saving breaker) works. Check that the light fittings come on.
• ·Joinery, glazing and doors: Open and close the windows and balcony doors; there should be no sticking, scraping or air leakage. Look closely at the glazing units for cracks, scratches or fogging (a sign the insulating glass has failed). Test that door locks and handles operate smoothly.
• ·Floor and wall workmanship: Check the floor finish (laminate, parquet, ceramic) for bulging, voids or open joints. Set the ball on the floor and watch for any pronounced slope. Inspect walls and ceilings for paint runs, cracks, damp or mould stains and uneven plaster.
• ·Ventilation and heating: Hold a thin sheet of paper to the bathroom and kitchen vents to confirm there is suction. Run the boiler and radiators to check that they heat up and that no air is trapped in the panels.

Common-Area Inspections

The building's shared spaces shape your quality of life as much as your own apartment. You have every right to review them at handover.

• ·Lift: Call the cabin and ride to every floor; confirm it runs without jolting and that the doors open and close properly. Check whether the maintenance and inspection certificate is displayed inside.
• ·Fire escape and safety: Confirm the fire-escape door is kept closed but openable from inside, and that the escape route is clear and lit. Check that fire cabinets, extinguishers and smoke detectors are in place.
• ·Parking: Verify that the space allocated to you matches the contract, that the manoeuvring area is adequate and that lighting and ventilation work.
• ·Water tank and pressure system: Ask whether the building's water tank is clean with its lid closed, and that the booster pump works. Check that water pressure is maintained on the upper floors.
• ·Roof, façade and surroundings: Observe the façade for render cracks, any visible defects in the roof and tank, and whether the landscaping and site works match the contract.

Document Checks

Documents are as critical as the physical inspection. At handover, make sure the following are given to you or held ready by the management.

• ·Occupancy permit (habitation certificate): The official document confirming the building was completed in line with its project and is fit to live in. Utilities and title-deed transactions become problematic without it.
• ·Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): Shows the building's energy class; it is expected to be present in new buildings.
• ·Warranties and user manuals: Collect the warranty documents and service details for the boiler, lift, water heater and any appliances.
• ·Project copies: Copies of the architectural, structural and mechanical drawings are invaluable for future renovation or fault diagnosis.
• ·Meter and subscription details: Obtain the information needed to transfer or open the electricity, water and gas subscriptions.

Asserting Your Rights When Defects Appear

If you discover a shortcoming or defect during or after handover, notifying it properly protects your rights. In law this is known as notice of defect.

The core principles are:

1. Have visible (apparent) defects written into the report at the moment of handover.
2. Report defects that emerge later (hidden defects) within a reasonable time of noticing them.
3. Make the notice in writing and in a provable way — for example a notarised notice or registered mail — not verbally.
4. Document defects with dated photographs and video.
5. Define a reasonable period and a clear scope for the remedy.

The time limits for notice of defect and the related consumer rights are set out under the Consumer Protection Law and the Code of Obligations. Because missing a deadline can mean losing your rights, we recommend consulting a legal advisor for serious defects. This article is for general information and does not replace legal advice.

Service Charges and Management Handover

Handover does not end with your apartment key; you also join the shared life of the building. Under the Property Ownership Law, a building management, service-charge and common-expense framework is established.

Watch these points:

• ·Learn clearly what the service charge covers (cleaning, lift maintenance, security, common electricity).
• ·Ask how the charge is set in the first period and from what date it applies.
• ·Confirm that documents such as the management plan and decision book have been handed over.
• ·Check that the common-area fixtures and their warranties have been delivered to the management.
• ·Find out the schedule of the first management meeting.

Summary and a Note

A new-apartment handover becomes far easier to manage when thought of in six headings: the report, room-by-room inspection, common areas, documents, asserting rights and management handover. Do not rush; one day of careful inspection lays the foundation for years of comfort.

At Çetin İnşaat, across the projects we have built in Ankara since 1972, we treat handover as a transparent process in which defects are written plainly into the report and documents are handed over in full — because trust is a commitment meant to last long after the day the keys change hands.