# E-signatures for property managers and real estate agents

> Leases as a signing link to all tenants, handover reports in kiosk mode in the apartment. QES available for fixed-term leases under § 550 BGB.

Source: https://smartdocs.de/en/industries/property-management/

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SmartDocs digitizes signatures in property management and brokerage: leases go out as a signing link to all tenants (with a controlled signing order), and handover reports are signed in [kiosk mode](/en/in-person-signing/) on a tablet in the apartment.

## Typical documents and signature levels

- Residential lease (open-ended): possible with no form requirement; AES with SMS code recommended for stronger evidential value.
- Fixed-term lease of more than one year: QES to satisfy the written form under § 550 BGB (German Civil Code); otherwise the lease is deemed open-ended.
- Handover report: SES on site in kiosk mode, with meter readings and documented identity verification.
- Tenant self-disclosure and viewing report: SES, in advance via link or at the appointment.

More detail in the guide [Sign a rental agreement digitally](/en/blog/sign-rental-agreement-digitally/).

## How a new tenancy works

1. Lease as a signing link to all parties, signing order controlled automatically.
2. Real-time status, automatic reminders to signers who have not yet signed.
3. Handover report in kiosk mode in the apartment; the sealed PDF goes into the file.

## Matching features

Kiosk mode for handovers (even without the tenant's email address), roles and permissions for your team (separate organizations for fully separated clients), templates with versioning (requests in progress keep their version) and a tamper-evident audit trail with a completion certificate for every file. A request with several signers counts as one signature request.

When you manage property on behalf of owners, the owner can be placed as an approval step ahead of the tenants (Enterprise plan): they review the lease and approve it without signing themselves, and only then do the signing links go to the tenants. They do not need an account of their own for this.