It is up to the landlord to decide when the keys will be handed over. Landlords should not hand over the keys to a property until the tenancy agreement is signed. It’s recommended that the key handover be arranged for the tenancy start date after the inventory and check-in inspection has taken place.
If keys are handed over before the tenancy agreement is signed, the tenant can become a ‘sitting tenant’ and the landlord may struggle to evict them from the property.