Anna hands the apartment keys to the tenant, Mārtiņš. Together they read the meters and inspect the furniture. The handle on a kitchen cabinet is loose, while the washing machine can only be checked to see whether its display turns on. How should they record these observations so it is clear later what was handed over?
An apartment handover and acceptance act is useful when it contains specific entries. Below, we will fill in Doqubit’s questionnaire using Anna and Mārtiņš as an example and look at what else to check before signing.
For more about the purpose of the document, read our guide to the apartment handover and acceptance act.
How Doqubit prepares an apartment handover act
This questionnaire is intended for handing over a rental apartment between private individuals. First, you answer ten questions: whether the parties are Latvian residents, which meters to include, whether there are unpaid utility bills, whether furniture and appliances are being handed over, and how the document will be signed. Your answers determine which fields appear next.
You then enter the parties’ and apartment’s details and complete the sections you selected. Before paying, you review a summary of the information entered. The finished act can be downloaded in PDF or DOCX format and received by email.
The tables below show examples of how to fill in the questionnaire, rather than the complete text of the finished document. Doqubit currently does not offer photo attachments, a separate room-by-room defect list, or fields for repair work and deadlines. At the end of the article, we explain how to keep this additional information outside the questionnaire.
Before filling it in: inspect the apartment together
You can prepare the basic details in advance using the lease agreement. Check the meter readings, inventory and keys on site together with the other party. Open cabinets, try the locks and switch on the available appliances.
Record the limits of your checks as well. A washing machine display being on does not mean that a full wash cycle was tested. In a furniture or appliance condition field, you can describe both a visible issue and something that could not be checked during the inspection.
Example of filling in an apartment handover and acceptance act
All names, the address, numbers and circumstances in this example are fictional. Anna and Mārtiņš signed their lease agreement on September 7, 2026, and sign the handover act on September 10. In your document, enter the actual details, including the party identification information requested by the questionnaire.
1. Parties, apartment and related lease agreement
The questions about Latvian residency determine which identification information must be entered for each party. Then check the apartment address and lease details. They make clear which property and rental relationship the act concerns.
Field | Example |
|---|---|
Landlord’s full name | Anna Bērziņa |
Tenant’s full name | Mārtiņš Kalniņš |
Full apartment address | Parauga iela 12–8, Rīga |
Number of rooms | 2 |
Total area (m²) | 48 |
Related document number | Ī-09/2026 |
Lease agreement signing date | September 7, 2026 |
If you copy data from an earlier document, check the apartment number, tenant details and lease reference especially carefully. The example does not show every party identification field.
2. Meter numbers and readings
In the initial questions, Anna selects water and electricity meters. The apartment has no gas or other meters, so those sections are not included. In the water section, each meter is added as a separate entry.
Meter | Number | Reading |
|---|---|---|
Electricity | E-EX-1042 | 12 458 kWh |
Cold water | AU-EX-218 | 156.324 m³ |
Hot water | KU-EX-219 | 98.716 m³ |
For water, electricity and gas meters, enter the meter number and reading. In the other-meter section, enter the meter type and reading. Compare the number with the device itself and add the correct unit to the reading. If you take photos of the meters, save them separately; they cannot be uploaded to the questionnaire.
3. Unpaid utility bills
The questionnaire asks whether unpaid utility bills should be included in the act. If there are none, select “No”. This section is not needed in Anna and Mārtiņš’s example.
If there are unpaid bills, select “Yes” and enter the verified amount. For example, if an invoice still has EUR 98.40 unpaid, enter EUR 98.40 in the amount field. There is no separate field for an agreement about the deadline for paying the debt. If you agree on one, prepare a separate written agreement.
4. Furniture and appliances
The questionnaire has separate lists for furniture and appliances. For each item, enter its name and condition. To make the item identifiable, you can add its color, brand or model. There is no separate quantity field: “Wooden chairs, 4 pcs” can be entered in the name field.
Furniture name | Furniture condition |
|---|---|
Gray two-seat sofa | A small area of fabric wear on the left armrest |
Dining table | Two round marks on the surface |
Wooden chairs, 4 pcs | A scratch on the seat of one chair |
Kitchen cabinet under the sink | The right-side handle is loose |
Appliance name | Appliance condition |
|---|---|
Refrigerator | Turned on, cool inside; three shelves and two drawers |
Washing machine | Display turns on; wash cycle was not tested during the inspection |
Television with remote | The television turns on and the remote works |
Entries like these say more than “in good condition”. You can describe the loose cabinet handle in the furniture condition field. A promise to repair it by a specific date is a separate agreement, and the questionnaire has no field for it.
5. Number of keys handed over
The apartment information section has one “Number of keys” field. Anna hands over two apartment door keys and one mailbox key, so she enters the number 3 in the example. Before handing them over, both parties try all the keys.
The questionnaire has no separate entries for each key type, access chips or parking remotes. If you hand over these access devices as well and need a detailed record, keep it in separate notes or an agreement.
6. Signing place, date and summary
Field | Example |
|---|---|
Signing place | Rīga |
Act signing date | September 10, 2026 |
The questionnaire records the signing date; it has no separate field for the handover time. If the keys are handed over on another day or the exact time matters to both parties, record it separately rather than entering another signing date.
Review the summary before paying. After receiving the document, both parties should also check the finished act and sign the same final version.
Additional inspection notes and photos
During the inspection, it is useful to check the walls, floors, windows and plumbing as well. The Doqubit questionnaire currently has no separate section for describing the condition of individual rooms. If you need to record, for example, a scratch on the floor by the balcony door, note its location and size separately. Do not assume the cause of damage when it is unknown.
Photos cannot currently be attached to the act in Doqubit. The parties can take them and store them outside the platform, for example in a shared folder or email thread. Both parties should keep the same set of images with clear file names.
If you include a furniture or appliance list, the current template states that their condition was recorded in photos or video forming an integral part of the act. The appliance section also states that the equipment was set up and the tenant instructed in its operation. The platform does not attach photos or video. Before signing, check that these statements match what the parties actually recorded and did. If they do not, revise the downloaded DOCX file in an external editor.
If you need a more detailed room description, you can add it to the downloaded DOCX file in an external text editor before signing. Repair work, the responsible person and the deadline can be agreed in a separate written document. Both parties should review and keep these additions as well.
Checklist before signing the act
- Check the parties’ details, apartment address, number of rooms and area.
- Compare the lease number and signing date with the lease agreement.
- Read the meters together and check the numbers and units.
- If you include unpaid utility bills, check the amount against the invoices.
- Review the furniture and appliance lists; in the condition descriptions, also note checks that were not completed.
- Count and test the keys; keep a detailed list of access devices separately if needed.
- Check the act’s signing place and date.
- If you prepared additional notes, photos or an agreement about work, review and save them outside Doqubit.
- Before signing, both parties should review the same final version of the document.
If you disagree with an entry, discuss it before signing. A precise condition description helps clarify what was seen during the inspection, but by itself it does not determine responsibility for damage or the payments to be made.
What to do with the act when the lease ends
At the end of the lease, you can use the original act for comparison: check the inventory again, read the meters and count the returned keys. If you prepare a new act, enter the information as it is at that time. Inspection notes and photos kept separately can help compare the apartment’s condition.
The option to draw up a handover and acceptance act both when entering into and ending a lease is provided for in Section 8(4) of Latvia’s Residential Tenancy Law.
Prepare an apartment handover and acceptance act with Doqubit
Once the basic details, readings and inventory have been checked, enter them in Doqubit’s questionnaire step by step. Select the sections you need, review the summary and receive the act in PDF or DOCX format. Before signing, check the document together with the other party.