diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b3d5bf8..b3da022 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ The controller image is published as
 `ghcr.io/cozystack/address-controller:main` (plus `main-<sha>` and semver tags)
 by the release workflow on every push to main.
 
+Adopting addresses Services already hold, removing the controllers, and the
+CRD changes each release makes are in [docs/operating.md](docs/operating.md).
+
 
 ## Admission policy
 
diff --git a/docs/operating.md b/docs/operating.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7954356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/operating.md
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# Operating address-controller
+
+Procedures for cluster admins. The [design](design.md) explains why the
+controller behaves as described here.
+
+## Adopting an address a Service already holds
+
+A Service pinned by hand to an address of a class's range keeps it while
+it moves under the ledger, because the driver's pin equals the existing
+one:
+
+1. Create an `IPAddressClaim` in the Service's namespace, naming the class.
+2. Create the `IPAddress` pre-bound to it:
+
+   ```yaml
+   apiVersion: local.sdn.cozystack.io/v1alpha1
+   kind: IPAddress
+   metadata:
+     name: ip-203-0-113-7
+   spec:
+     address: 203.0.113.7
+     className: public
+     reclaimPolicy: Retain
+     claimRef: {namespace: tenant-a, name: web}
+     source: {fromClass: {}}
+   ```
+
+   The core accepts the pre-binding only if the class and family match the
+   claim and the claim holds no address of that family yet; otherwise the
+   claim records a `PreBindingRefused` event.
+3. Annotate the Service with `local.sdn.cozystack.io/ip-address-claim: web`.
+   The driver records the association and pins the same address.
+
+The hand-written pin stays on the Service. Under the driver's admission
+policy, removing it later takes an allowlisted principal.
+
+## Removing the controllers
+
+Claims, addresses and classes carry finalizers that the core removes
+(`claim-protection`, `address-protection`, `class-protection`), and the
+MetalLB driver adds `teardown` to the addresses it creates. While objects
+remain and a controller is not running, deleting them, or a namespace that
+holds claims, hangs. Tear down in this order:
+
+1. Remove the claim annotation from Services, or delete the Services.
+2. Delete every `IPAddressClaim`. The core reclaims each address by its
+   `reclaimPolicy`.
+3. Delete the `IPAddress` objects left behind (`Released`, `Available`).
+   The driver releases each backend reservation.
+4. Delete the `IPAddressClass` objects. Each goes once no address of it is
+   left.
+5. Uninstall the driver, then the core. `helm uninstall` leaves the CRDs.
+
+If the controllers are already gone, clear the finalizers by hand, for
+example:
+
+```sh
+kubectl get ipaddressclaims.local.sdn.cozystack.io -A \
+  -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.namespace} {.metadata.name}{"\n"}{end}' |
+  while read -r ns name; do
+    kubectl -n "$ns" patch ipaddressclaims.local.sdn.cozystack.io "$name" \
+      --type=merge -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}'
+  done
+for kind in ipaddresses ipaddressclasses; do
+  kubectl get "$kind.local.sdn.cozystack.io" -o name |
+    xargs -r -n1 kubectl patch --type=merge -p '{"metadata":{"finalizers":null}}'
+done
+```
+
+The group suffix matters: `ipaddresses` alone resolves to the Kubernetes
+`networking.k8s.io` kind. Backend state the driver would have released,
+such as MetalLB placeholder Services, is then left for you to delete.
+
+## Upgrading the CRDs
+
+The API is `v1alpha1` with no conversion webhook. Helm installs the chart's
+`crds/` on first install only; `make install-crds` applies the current
+CRDs, and a distribution that replaces CRDs on upgrade does the same. A
+field removed or renamed in a later CRD invalidates stored objects that
+still set it, so every release states its schema changes:
+
+| release | schema change |
+|---|---|
+| v0.1.0 | initial `IPAddress`, `IPAddressClaim`, `IPAddressClass` |
+| unreleased | `IPAddressClass.spec.releaseDelay` added; `IPAddress` gains a core-set `Bound` condition |