Drawing-up a protocol isn’t compulsory by law and it doesn’t have to be a part of the sublease contract. It’s only up to the parties involved if they draw it up or not. However, if you draw up a correct and complete protocol, you can avoid various potential future disputes with your landlord. That’s why it’s important to pay closer attention to it.
The hand-over protocol should record the condition of the apartment at the point of handing it over. That’s why it should include at least:
- The names of the participants or their representatives. In case one of the parties is represented by a legal representative, the appropriate authorities should be included in the protocol;
- Details about the apartment: address, house number, list of the rooms in the apartment, its area
- The landlord’s declaration about handing over the apartment to the tenant, and the tenant’s declaration about moving in;
- A list of equipment in the apartment (including its condition) which the tenant can use;
- A description of the apartment and its condition, including any discovered faults;
- Number of keys which the tenant gets (to the apartment and common areas);
- Water, gas and electricity meter readings, as well as their serial numbers.
It’s recommended to include photos of the apartment and its equipment in the protocol.
As it’s clear from its name, the hand-over protocol should be signed at the point of handing over of the apartment. However, even if you don’t do it when you move into the apartment, it’s still possible to include it in the contract later. One of the options is, for example, signing of a mutual agreement between the parties, with all the requirements above.
The hand-over protocol serves to protect the landlord as well as the tenant. When it’s drawn-up and signed, both parties agree that the tenant was given the apartment in a certain condition. After the sublease contract is over, the tenant has to return the apartment in the same condition. That condition is recorded in the protocol and any differences are the tenant’s responsibility.
This is why the parties involved in the signing of a sublease contract should pay close attention to drawing-up a hand-over protocol. Signing it can help to prevent any potential disputes between the landlord and the tenant about the condition of the apartment and its equipment.
But before you can sign any type of hand-over protocol, you need some kind of apartment. And Flatio is full of furnished apartments or rooms in Prague (or other cities, for example Brno, Warsaw, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Sydney, Hong Kong, etc.) suitable for short-term stays, working stays, or even for students and digital nomads.
