Safety at handover: locks, smoke alarms and installations

You do not need to be able to assess every installation yourself. The aim is to get an overview, document what is visible and know who to contact if something does not work.

In brief

When you take over the home, you can go through safety in five groups:

1. Access: keys, locks, doors and windows
2. Fire: smoke alarms and escape routes
3. Electricity: fuse box, main switch and RCD
4. Water and heating: main stopcock, isolation valves and heating system
5. Documentation: photos, codes, service papers and insurance

If you discover faults that could be dangerous, do not experiment. Switch off or keep people away if it can be done safely, and contact the relevant authorised professional.

Use handover day to find the home's most important functions

A safety walk-through is not the same as a technical inspection.

You go through what you as a homeowner need to be able to find and use in everyday life:

• Front door and other external doors
• Keys and access fobs
• Windows and patio doors
• Smoke alarms
• Fuse box
• RCD, previously called HFI or HPFI
• Main water stopcock
• Isolation valves at installations
• Heating system
• Any gas boiler or gas cooker
• Alarm system
• Basement, loft, shed and shared rooms

It is a good idea to take the seller or another person round with you when the keys are handed over. It is easier to be shown the main stopcock and the heating system while someone who knows the home is present.

Keys and access

Start by putting all the keys and fobs you have received on a table.

Write down what they fit:

• Front door
• Back door
• Patio door
• Letterbox
• Basement
• Loft
• Shed
• Garage
• Shared entrance door
• Gate
• Storage room

If a key cannot be identified, get it clarified. The same applies to remote controls, access cards and digital codes.

The purchase agreement (købsaftale) may contain information about what must be handed over. But you can never be completely sure that you know about every copy that has been made over the years.

Should the locks be changed?

Some new owners choose to have the lock cylinders recoded or replaced, so they get a new set of keys and a clear overview of who has access.

That is not the same as replacing the whole door or the lock case. A locksmith can explain the options for the specific type of lock.

Among other things, clarify:

• How many external doors does the home have?
• Do several doors use the same key?
• Are there system keys or security cards?
• Is the lock part of an owners' association's shared system?
• Is there electronic access or a code?
• Does the insurance set specific requirements for security?

In an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), the outside of the front door, the cylinder or a shared access system may be regulated by the owners' association (ejerforening). So check the rules before you change anything.

Doors, windows and patio doors

Try the doors and windows that could be used to get into the home.

Check:

• Whether they can be closed and locked
• Whether handles and fittings are secure
• Whether keys turn without sticking
• Whether the patio door can be secured from the inside
• Whether basement and shed doors work
• Whether ground-floor windows have visible damage

The Danish police point to securing doors and windows, outdoor lighting and neighbourhood watch, among other things, as elements in preventing burglary.^[1]

That does not mean every home needs the same solution. Type of home, access conditions and insurance terms differ.

Smoke alarms

A smoke alarm can warn you before you notice the smoke yourself.

The Danish Safety Technology Authority (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen) states that the owner is responsible for smoke alarms in buildings constructed after 2004. For other homes, it is as a starting point the occupant who must provide smoke alarms.^[2]

It is therefore too categorical to say that smoke alarms are a general legal requirement in all existing Danish homes.

At handover you can note:

• How many smoke alarms there are
• Where they are
• Whether they are battery-powered or mains-connected
• Whether they are interconnected
• Whether they have an expiry date
• Whether the test button works

The Danish Safety Technology Authority recommends regular testing. Its guidance describes testing with the test button once a month and changing the battery every year for relevant battery-powered alarms.^[2]

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions, because mains-wired alarms and alarms with long-life batteries may have other requirements.

Escape routes

A smoke alarm only helps if you can also get out.

Look at the home with one simple question: how do we get out if the normal way is blocked?

Check:

• Whether the front door can be opened from the inside
• Whether any security lock needs a key from the inside
• Whether windows that could serve as rescue openings can be opened
• Whether hallways are free of moving boxes
• Whether shared stairs and stairwells are accessible
• Whether children and others in the household know where the keys are kept

In a block of flats, there are rules for shared access and escape routes. Contact the managing agent if you are unsure what may be kept in the stairwell.

The fuse box and RCD

Find the fuse box before you need it.

Here you should be able to identify:

• The main switch
• The circuits for the home's different rooms and installations
• Fuses or circuit breakers
• RCD, previously known as HFI or HPFI
• The test button on the RCD

The RCD cuts the power if certain faults occur in the installation or in an appliance. The Danish Safety Technology Authority recommends testing it twice a year.^[3]

It is tested with the test button according to the manufacturer's and the Danish Safety Technology Authority's guidance. The power should cut out. If it does not, or if the switch cannot be turned back on, an authorised electrician must be contacted.

Do not open the fuse box, and do not start changing the installation yourself. A professional electrical inspection may only be carried out under the responsibility of an authorised electrical contracting firm.^[4]

Find the main water stopcock

If a pipe or hose bursts, it is important to know where the water can be turned off.

Ask to be shown:

• The main stopcock for the home
• Isolation valves at toilets
• Isolation valves under washbasins
• Isolation valve for the dishwasher
• Isolation valve for the washing machine
• Any outdoor taps

Do not test old or stiff valves with unnecessary force. If a valve cannot be operated, an authorised plumbing firm can assess it.

In an owner-occupied flat, the main stopcock may be located in a utility cupboard or a shared room. Ask the managing agent who has access.

Heating system, gas and wood-burning stove

Find the home's heat source and how it is normally operated.

It could be:

• District heating unit
• Gas boiler
• Heat pump
• Oil boiler
• Electric heating
• Wood-burning stove

Ask to be shown:

• How the system is switched on and off
• Where pressure and temperature are read
• Where the service papers are kept
• When the system was last serviced
• Who is normally contacted in case of faults

If you smell gas, see soot, hear unusual noises or are unsure about safety, do not investigate the system by taking it apart. Follow the supplier's emergency instructions, ventilate if it can be done safely, and contact the relevant professional. If there is immediate danger, call 112.

Alarm systems and cameras

An existing alarm system does not necessarily come with the home as an active agreement.

Clarify:

• Who owns the equipment?
• Is it bought, leased or part of a subscription?
• Which company operates the system?
• Does the seller need to cancel their agreement?
• Do you need to set up a new agreement?
• Who has access to the app, codes and cameras?
• Does the system need to be reset?

Digital locks, doorbells, cameras and smart home systems may be linked to the seller's personal account. Make sure the seller's access is removed and that the devices are transferred or reset according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Basement, loft, garage and shed

The secondary rooms are easily forgotten on handover day.

Go through:

• Locks and keys
• Windows
• Electrical installations
• Smoke alarms, where relevant
• Flammable liquids and chemicals
• Gas cylinders
• Oil and fuel
• Tools and machinery
• Access to shared rooms

If the seller has left chemicals or containers without clear labelling, they should not be mixed or poured away. The municipality's waste scheme can tell you how to dispose of them correctly.

Your insurance must match the home

Insurance terms vary.

Contact the insurance company if you are unsure about requirements for:

• Type of lock
• Alarm
• Basement
• Outbuilding and garage
• Particularly valuable contents
• Letting
• Empty home during renovation
• Water damage protection

Document the home's safety equipment and any changes. This may be relevant if damage occurs later.

Read the full guide to insurance when buying a home.

Take photos and keep the information

Make a simple folder with:

• Photos of the keys and fobs handed over
• Photo of the fuse box
• Circuit list
• Location of the main stopcock
• The smoke alarms' model and date
• Codes and manuals
• Service papers
• Contact details for the managing agent and service companies
• Receipts for new locks or other equipment

Do not store passwords in a document that is widely shared. Use a secure password manager.

A simple timeline

On handover day

• Collect and identify keys
• Try external doors and windows
• Find the smoke alarms
• Find the fuse box and main switch
• Find the main stopcock
• Ask to be shown the heating system
• Take photos

In the first week

• Clarify any recoding or replacement of locks
• Reset digital devices and passwords
• Clarify the alarm agreement
• Check insurance terms
• Have unknown or faulty installations assessed

On an ongoing basis

• Test smoke alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions
• Test the RCD twice a year according to the Danish Safety Technology Authority's guidance
• Update your contact list and documentation
• Go through the home after changes and renovation

Example: the house with three unknown keys

At handover, a couple buying a home receive seven keys. Four are labelled. Three are not.

They try the keys together with the seller and discover that one fits the shed, one an old padlock, and one is no longer used. They then get a locksmith to explain the options for the front door and the patio door.

The point is not that all locks should always be changed. The point is that you should know who has access to your home.

Example: the flat with shared access

A buyer wants to change the cylinder in the flat's front door. The managing agent explains that the building uses a shared locking system, so the change has to fit the system.

The buyer therefore gets the rules first and then orders the right solution. At the same time, the access fobs and the name on the door entry phone are updated.

Your checklist

• All keys and fobs have been identified
• I know who has access to shared systems
• External doors can be closed and locked
• Windows and patio doors work
• Smoke alarms have been found and tested according to the guidance
• Escape routes are accessible
• The fuse box and main switch have been found
• The RCD has been identified
• The main water stopcock has been found
• I have been shown the heating system
• The alarm and digital devices have been transferred or reset
• Basement, loft, shed and garage have been gone through
• The insurance terms have been checked
• Photos and documents have been saved

Common misunderstandings

The seller must change the locks

Not as a general rule. It depends on the purchase agreement. As the buyer, you can decide for yourself about access and the locking system after handover.

Smoke alarms are a legal requirement in all homes

Requirements and responsibility depend on, among other things, the building's age and circumstances. Regardless, the Danish Safety Technology Authority recommends smoke alarms and regular checks.^[2]

HPFI and RCD are two completely different things

RCD is the current international term for a residual current device. HFI and HPFI are older Danish terms.

An alarm automatically comes with the house

The equipment may come with it, while the subscription does not. Ownership, the agreement and digital accounts need to be clarified.

The electrical installation report means all the electrics have been checked

An electrical installation report (elinstallationsrapport) is a sample-based review under the scheme's rules. It is not a guarantee that all hidden issues have been examined.

The insurance pays out regardless of security measures

Cover depends on the policy and the specific damage. Check the terms with your insurance company.

In short

Safety at handover is first and foremost about getting to know the home.

Find the entrances, the smoke alarms, the fuse box, the RCD, the main stopcock and the heating system. Get on top of digital accounts and any alarms. Document what you see, and use authorised professionals when installations need to be assessed or changed.

You can gather the tasks in your moving plan and continue with the guide on the home's installations.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The specific technical, legal and insurance assessment depends on the home, the agreements and your policy.

Frequently asked questions