How to document a roommate handoff properly
First confirm whether the landlord must approve the change and obtain that approval in writing. Record the departing person’s final rent date, the incoming person’s start date, keys transferred, and who is now responsible under the lease or sublease.
Take dated photos of the room and shared areas. Settle utilities, shared purchases, and the old roommate’s portion of any deposit in a written settlement. The landlord may still hold the original deposit until the tenancy ends, so distinguish the household’s private reimbursement from the landlord’s legal deposit.
Share copies with everyone involved. A handoff document makes the change legible months later, when memories are least reliable.