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Brisbane Settlement Day Handover 2026: Keys, Alarm Codes, Manuals and What the Buyer Needs

Settlement is the legal handover, but the physical handover is its own checklist. Here is what Brisbane sellers must give the buyer, how the keys actually change hands, and the documentation that prevents a post-settlement phone call.

The settlement itself is the legal moment your sale completes. Money clears through PEXA, title transfers to the buyer, and your obligations under the contract end. But there is a second handover that happens around the same time, and it is the one that determines whether the buyer takes possession smoothly or starts their first day in the home with a list of unanswered questions. Keys, codes, remotes, manuals and the contact details of the tradespeople who know the house all need to land in the buyer's hands at the right moment. Get this part right and the file closes cleanly. Get it wrong and you can find yourself fielding calls a week after you thought the matter was finished.

Most Brisbane sellers underestimate the handover. They focus on the conveyancing, the bank discharge and the moving truck, and they treat the keys as something they will sort out on the day. That works often enough that it has become the default, but it leaves no margin when something does not go to plan. A garage remote that has flat batteries, a missing alarm code, an unaccounted-for back door key or a pool certificate the buyer's solicitor cannot find in the file are all small problems that turn into awkward conversations the day after settlement.

What the contract actually requires

The standard REIQ contract used for most Queensland residential sales is fairly minimal in its handover language. The seller must deliver vacant possession at settlement (unless the sale is subject to a tenancy), and the buyer is entitled to receive the keys, remote controls and security codes for everything included in the sale. That covers the front and back door keys, internal door keys where they exist, garage remotes, electric gate remotes, alarm system codes, codes for any electronic locks, keys for the letterbox, keys for any outbuildings such as sheds or pool pump rooms, and keys for window locks and security screens where they have been fitted.

It does not formally require you to provide manuals, warranties or service records. Those are courtesy items in the strict contractual sense, but in practice every solicitor on the buyer's side will flag their absence and every Brisbane buyer expects them. Compliance documents are a different matter again. A current pool safety certificate, smoke alarm compliance records and any required termite or pest treatment certifications are part of your statutory obligations rather than the handover bundle itself, but they typically end up in the same folder you hand over because that is the most sensible place to keep them.

How the keys actually change hands

Under PEXA electronic settlement, which now handles the overwhelming majority of Queensland residential settlements, the moment of settlement is the moment funds clear through the electronic workspace. There is no physical exchange of cheques in a city office anymore. The settlement window typically falls between mid-morning and mid-afternoon, with most settlements landing between 11am and 2pm. Your solicitor will confirm settlement has been effected and will notify your selling agent. Only at that point does the buyer become entitled to the keys.

The standard practice in Brisbane is for the selling agent to hold the keys in their office safe and release them to the buyer or the buyer's agent once settlement is confirmed. This means two things for you as the seller. First, you need to deliver a complete set of keys, remotes and codes to your agent before settlement day. Most agents prefer this to happen at least one full business day in advance. If your settlement is on a Friday, drop the keys on Thursday morning. This gives the agent time to confirm the set is complete, label everything, and identify any missing items before the buyer arrives expecting to take possession.

Second, you need to vacate the property properly before settlement. Vacant possession means the house is empty of your possessions and accessible. Leaving a few items in the garage because you ran out of moving truck capacity is a contractual breach if the buyer pulls you up on it, and it sometimes becomes the trigger for a buyer to refuse to settle until the items are removed. The cleaner the vacate, the cleaner the handover.

The full keys, remotes and codes list

Build your own list a fortnight before settlement and verify each item. The full list for a typical inner-east Brisbane home covers more than most sellers realise:

Two complete sets of front door keys, two complete sets of back door keys, keys for any side gates, keys for the laundry door if it is external, keys for any internal doors that lock with a key (including the standard old Queenslander bedroom doors), keys for the letterbox, keys to any sheds or outbuildings, keys to the pool gate or pool pump enclosure, keys for window locks where security screens have been fitted, keys for sliding door locks, garage roller door remotes (typically two), electric driveway gate remotes, motorised awning remotes if fitted, ceiling fan and dimmer remotes for any rooms with them, air-conditioning remotes for every unit (split systems each have their own), TV mounting wall plate bolts if relevant, and the codes for any electronic locks, smart lock systems, alarm systems, video doorbell systems and smart home hubs.

For the codes, write them down on paper rather than relying on your memory or the buyer being able to retrieve them later. Include the master alarm code, any user codes that have been issued to family, cleaners or trades, the duress code if your alarm has one, the keypad codes for smart locks, and the Wi-Fi network name and password if the buyer will be inheriting the modem and router. If your alarm is monitored by a security company, include the account number and the company contact details so the buyer can transfer the monitoring contract into their name.

Smart home accounts and digital handover

This is the area that has changed the most in the last five years and where the standard contract is silent. Smart locks, smart thermostats, video doorbells, smart blinds, integrated solar inverters and home battery systems all have associated app accounts, and the standard practice is to factory-reset these or transfer the account ownership rather than leaving them connected to your personal Apple ID, Google account or email address.

The cleanest approach is to factory-reset every smart device the day you move out and provide the buyer with a written note of which devices exist, which app each one uses, and any preserved settings the buyer might want (your scheduled lighting routines, your favourite climate presets, your solar export limits). Do not leave devices connected to your accounts, because once you change your account password or close the account, the buyer's devices will stop working and you will be the person they call. The exception is monitored solar inverters where your solar retailer or installer has portal access. Notify the retailer of the change of ownership and let them transfer the monitoring account to the new owner directly.

If you are leaving the modem and router for the buyer, factory-reset the router, reset the Wi-Fi network name and password to something simple, and write the new credentials on a card on the kitchen bench. If you are taking the modem with you (which is the more common path in Brisbane, where most owners have their own NBN account), make sure the buyer knows to arrange their own NBN connection, because NBN modems are tied to individual accounts and a transfer of property does not automatically transfer the internet service.

Manuals, warranties and service records

The manuals folder is the single most useful courtesy item you can leave for the buyer, and it costs you nothing beyond an hour of organisation. Compile every manual you can find for the included appliances and fittings, every warranty document for items that are still in warranty, every service record for major systems, and every contact card for the tradespeople who have worked on the property recently.

The full list for a typical inner-east Brisbane family home includes: oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher, microwave (if built-in), refrigerator (if included), washing machine and dryer (if included), all split-system air-conditioners, ceiling fans, smart thermostats, hot water system (gas, electric or heat pump), pool pump and chlorinator, pool heater if fitted, solar inverter and any battery system, garage door opener, electric gate motor, irrigation controller, garden lighting timers, security alarm panel, video doorbell, smart locks, and the underfloor heating or radiant heating controllers if you have them.

Service records matter more than manuals in some cases. The annual pool servicing records, the most recent air-conditioning service report, the solar system performance history if you have it, and the termite inspection reports for the last three years are all documents the buyer will appreciate and that protect you from any post-settlement complaint about the condition of these systems. If you have used a particular plumber, electrician, gardener or pool service throughout your time in the home, write their names and phone numbers on a sheet at the front of the folder. Buyers value this because it saves them weeks of working out who is good in the area, and it implicitly tells them the systems have been properly maintained.

Compliance documents the buyer needs

Some documents are not strictly part of the handover folder because they have already been delivered to the buyer's solicitor through the contract process, but they belong in the same physical folder for completeness. The pool safety certificate (Form 23) is the obvious one. Queensland requires a current pool safety certificate at settlement for any property with a pool or spa, and the certificate runs for two years from issue. A copy in the kitchen folder lets the buyer find it without ringing their solicitor.

Smoke alarm compliance documentation became more demanding under the 2022 changes to the Queensland legislation, with all rental properties and properties sold from January 2022 requiring interconnected photoelectric alarms in every bedroom, every storey hallway, and any storey without a bedroom. A note in the folder identifying which alarms have been installed, when, and by whom helps the buyer demonstrate compliance if they later let the property or sell again.

Termite barrier records and treatment certificates are valuable evidence the buyer is unlikely to have anywhere else. If you have a current termite barrier with renewal due in two years, leaving the certificate and the contact details for the pest control company that installed it saves the buyer from having to commission a fresh inspection in the first month of ownership.

Body corporate and apartment handovers

If you are selling an apartment or a townhouse in a body corporate scheme, the handover bundle has additional items. The buyer needs the security fob or swipe card for the building entry, the lift access card (if relevant), the basement carpark remote, the storage cage key, the pool and gym fob, the BBQ area access card, the bin room key, the bike room key, and the residents' lounge access if your building has one. Body corporate buildings typically issue these on a one-fob-per-lot basis, so check what you were issued at purchase and make sure you can return the same number.

Provide the buyer with the body corporate manager's contact details, the strata manager's contact details if those are separate, the building manager's name and mobile number, the by-laws document, the current levy notices, the AGM minutes from the last meeting, and any sinking fund forecast you have. This information will mostly already be in the buyer's solicitor's file from the disclosure process, but the buyer often does not have a complete copy themselves. A folder on the kitchen bench means they have everything they need on day one without chasing.

The handover letter

A short handover letter on the front of the folder is a small touch that buyers consistently mention as something they appreciated. A page is enough. Include the location of any infrastructure that is not obvious (the mains water shutoff valve, the gas isolation valve, the main electrical switchboard, the solar isolator, the irrigation controller, the hot water system if it is concealed in a ceiling space or under stairs). Include the bin collection day and the recycling collection day. Include the council bulk rubbish collection schedule if your suburb has one. Include the school catchment school office contact details if the family is moving in for the school zone. Include any rituals the house has, such as the back gate needing to be padlocked because a curious neighbour's dog can otherwise get in, or the dishwasher needing the second drawer turned on at the wall switch.

This letter takes thirty minutes to write and removes the awkward week of texted questions that often follows settlement when the buyer cannot find something or does not understand how a system works. It also leaves the buyer with a positive first impression of the previous owner, which matters more than it sounds, particularly in tightly held inner-east streets where you may run into the buyer at the local cafe for years afterward.

What to do in the final week

The handover preparation works best as a checklist run in the seven days before settlement. Set aside an hour on each of three different days rather than trying to do everything the day before you move out.

In the final week, walk through the house with a notebook and list every locked door, every powered device, every alarm and every smart system. For each one, write down what keys, remotes, codes or app credentials apply. Test every garage remote, every gate remote, every alarm fob and every smart lock to confirm they work, replacing batteries as needed. Round up every spare key from where you have stored it over the years (kitchen drawer, bedside table, garage hook, friend's place around the corner) and bring them all to the kitchen bench. Sort the manuals folder, scan anything you want to keep a personal copy of, and bind the rest in a folder.

Two days before settlement, deliver the keys, remotes and folder to your selling agent in person. Walk them through what is in the bundle so they can answer any buyer questions on the day. Leave the appliance manuals folder on the kitchen bench in the house itself, not at the agent's office, so the buyer finds it when they walk through the door. Confirm with your solicitor that the discharge of mortgage has been actioned and that the bank has provided the discharge authority to PEXA.

The day before settlement, do your final clean (or have the cleaners in), make sure the bins are empty and properly placed for collection, leave a note for the buyer with any final details, photograph the meters (water, electricity, gas) for your final usage records, take the mains water meter reading and the electricity meter reading and send them to your solicitor for the settlement adjustments calculation, and lock the house properly. The next day, your solicitor settles, your agent releases the keys, and the buyer takes possession of a home that has been handed over the way every buyer wishes their handover had been.

What can go wrong

The most common handover failures in Brisbane are small but disproportionately painful. Missing garage remotes are the single most frequent complaint, usually because owners have lost the second remote years ago and forgotten about it. A replacement remote for an older garage motor can cost $150 and take two weeks to source, and a buyer who cannot use their garage on day one will not forget it quickly.

Alarm codes the buyer cannot use are the second most common. Some alarm systems require a service call to reset the master code if you cannot supply it, and a buyer who arrives to find the system armed with a code they do not know has a real problem until a security technician can attend. Always test that the code you write down actually disarms the alarm before you hand it over.

Items left in the property are the third most common. The buyer is entitled to vacant possession, and items you have abandoned in the shed, the roof cavity, the under-house storage or the side gangway are technically a breach. Most buyers will accept obvious leftovers (an old paint tin, a hose reel) without complaint, but a workshop full of tools you ran out of time to move or a roof cavity full of insulation off-cuts can become the basis for a post-settlement claim. Schedule a final walk-through of every accessible space the day before settlement, with a torch.

Pool fence non-compliance discovered at the buyer's pre-settlement inspection is the fourth and most expensive. If the buyer's solicitor flags a pool gate that does not self-close, a fence panel that has dropped below the minimum height, or pool furniture that creates a climbable surface, you can find yourself agreeing to a price adjustment at settlement or scrambling to commission emergency repairs. The pool safety certificate you issued at the start of the campaign should have caught these issues, but check them again in the final week and fix anything that has moved.

After settlement

Once settlement has effected and the keys have been released, your contractual obligations to the buyer are essentially complete. The exception is any defect notified between contract signing and settlement that has not been resolved, and any item under warranty that the buyer subsequently calls on. Keep your handover folder copy for two years, including the photos of the meters, the settlement statement, the keys-and-remotes inventory you delivered to the agent, and any text or email confirmation that the bundle was complete. These records are your protection against any later claim that something was missing.

It is also worth, in the days after settlement, sending the buyer a short note via your agent inviting them to contact you if any question comes up. This costs nothing, it positions you as a reasonable previous owner, and in the inner east of Brisbane where many homes change hands within tight networks, your reputation as a vendor does carry forward. A buyer who feels well treated rarely makes trouble. A buyer who feels short-changed on the handover is the buyer most likely to find a reason to call their solicitor in the months that follow.