The smart-home
handoff checklist.

1. List what is staying with the home

Walk through the agreed rooms and make a simple inventory of visible equipment. Ask the parties to clarify which devices are included in the sale, leased or being removed. Record unknown equipment as unknown instead of guessing from its appearance.

• Network: router, mesh nodes, access points, switches and any equipment supplied by an internet provider.
• Entry and cameras: doorbells, cameras, recorders, locks, garage controls and gate equipment. Your proposal explains the handoff work we will carry out and any specialist work that needs a separate arrangement.
• Comfort and lighting: thermostats, smart switches, dimmers, hubs, motorized shades and room controllers.
• Entertainment: TVs, streaming boxes, receivers, amplifiers, soundbars, speakers and distributed audio zones.
• Other connected systems: leak sensors, water controls, irrigation, pool automation, appliances and energy equipment.

For each item, capture its make, exact model if visible, location, app/controller, known installer and available manual. Map hubs with the devices and rooms they control so the system remains understandable. Avoid photographing setup codes or private information for a shared report.

2. Organize people, permission and timing

Identify who owns each manufacturer account and who can authorize a change. A person with shared viewing access may not be the account owner. Establish an agreed handoff time that respects actual possession, including any leaseback. Closing day alone is not an instruction to remove someone's access.

• Ask the seller for the equipment list, manuals, supplied purchase records and installer contact details.
• Have the buyer arrange working internet and their own manufacturer accounts before the planned setup visit.
• Ask the provider to identify exact models, permitted actions, timing and dependencies in writing.
• Agree which configurations should be preserved and which changes could erase scenes, recordings or programming.
• Leave passwords, Wi-Fi keys, recovery codes and lock PINs with the authorized people using their own devices.

3. Record what actually happened

Use separate status fields for account release, a local reset, historical cloud data, subscriptions and buyer enrollment. A physical device left in a home does not by itself prove that its account or warranty has transferred.

For each planned function check, record the action and observed result: for example, whether a specified control responded during the agreed test. Include date, relevant conditions, untested functions and any issue observed. A handoff record is not a whole-house inspection, a security audit or a prediction of future reliability.

If ownership is disputed, the current account owner is unavailable, a device is unsupported or additional technical work is discovered, stop that item and document the provider and next step. A written unresolved item is more useful than an unsupported “complete.”

4. Give the buyer a usable record

• Provide the equipment inventory and the apps/controllers needed for everyday use.
• List completed changes, observed checks, blocked items and provider follow-up.
• Keep supplied manuals, warranty references and installer contacts together.
• Assign each open item to the right account owner, manufacturer or qualified provider.
• Record subscription and warranty questions separately from device ownership.

Compare this structure with our sample Home Tech Passport. If an AV rack or dealer-managed controller is involved, read the whole-home systems guide before treating it as ordinary app setup.

Why the exact product matters

Ring documents different effects for deactivation and deletion, including separate subscription handling. Sonos distinguishes a system ownership transfer from creating a new system after a reset. We review the current instructions for the exact equipment and agree each account change with its authorized owner.