Taking possession of a new flat: the checklist
Possession is the moment your leverage over a developer is at its highest and drops sharply afterwards. Buyers arrive excited, sign what is put in front of them, and discover the defects over the following months when the incentive to fix them has gone. An organised handover is worth more than most people realise.
Before you accept anything
Confirm the occupancy certificate has been issued for the building. Taking possession without it means occupying a building that is not certified fit for occupation, with consequences for utilities, resale and financing. Our note on what an occupancy certificate proves covers why this is not a formality.
Confirm the completion position of common areas and amenities, not just your flat. Amenities promised in the agreement should exist, and where they do not, raise it before accepting rather than after.
Reconcile the final demand against the agreement. Charges appearing at possession that were not in the agreed schedule should be questioned, and this is the last practical moment to do so.
Do not pay the final instalment before inspecting. Once the money is transferred, the conversation changes entirely.
- Occupancy certificate issued for the building
- Common areas and agreed amenities actually complete
- Final demand reconciled against the agreement
- Inspect before releasing the final payment
The snag list is the whole exercise
A snag list is a written record of every defect and incomplete item, signed and acknowledged by the developer. It converts a vague expectation into a documented obligation.
Be exhaustive rather than reasonable. Minor items cost nothing to list and everything to add later, and a developer will not object to a long list at this stage nearly as much as they will to a new complaint in three months.
Photograph everything with dates. A photographic record attached to a signed list is considerably harder to dispute than a description.
Get the list acknowledged in writing with a timeline for rectification. A list handed over without acknowledgement is a wish, not a record.
What to check systematically
Water is the most consequential category. Run every tap and flush every toilet, check pressure, check drainage speed and look for leaks under sinks and around the water heater. Then check ceilings and walls for signs of ingress from above.
Electrical next. Test every switch, socket and light point, confirm the distribution board is labelled, and check that the sanctioned load matches what you were promised.
Then surfaces and fittings: tile hollowness, floor level, door and window alignment, locks, handles, and whether windows actually close and seal properly.
Then measure. Confirm the carpet area against the agreement, since discrepancies do occur and the variation clause our note on agreement clauses describes exists precisely for this.
- Water: taps, flushes, pressure, drainage, leaks, ingress
- Electrical: every point, board labelling, sanctioned load
- Surfaces: tile hollowness, levels, door and window alignment
- Measure the carpet area against the agreement
Documents to collect at handover
The possession letter, the occupancy certificate, the approved plan and the completed snag list with acknowledgement.
Warranty documents for fittings and appliances, and the specification schedule so you can verify what was installed against what was promised.
Utility connection details and account numbers, and confirmation of how and when meters transfer into your name.
The society formation position, since a building at handover may not yet have a functioning society, and knowing where that stands determines who you deal with about common areas in the interim.
What the defect liability period gives you
The law provides a defect liability period for structural defects and specified workmanship issues running from handover, and it is a genuine protection rather than a courtesy.
It runs from possession, which means the clock starts when you accept. That is a reason to take possession promptly once the building is ready, and also a reason to document condition at that moment.
Report defects in writing as they appear rather than accumulating them, because a documented report within the period is what preserves your position.
Where a developer does not respond, the MahaRERA route applies. Our note on MahaRERA rights when a builder delays covers the process, which is the same forum for defect complaints.
The first months after moving in
Complete mutation so municipal records show you as owner, and confirm which body assesses the property. Our guide to property tax in Navi Mumbai covers why this matters and what happens if it is skipped.
Transfer utility accounts into your name and keep the first bills, which are useful evidence of occupancy date later.
Participate in society formation if it has not yet happened. The early decisions a new society makes about maintenance levels, sinking fund and rules affect your costs for years, and the people who show up make them.
Consider insurance. Our note on home insurance for a Navi Mumbai flat covers what a society policy does and does not cover.
- Complete mutation and confirm the assessing authority
- Transfer utilities and retain the first bills
- Participate in society formation while decisions are being made
- Arrange insurance rather than assuming the society covers you
If something is seriously wrong
You are not obliged to accept possession of a flat that materially differs from what was agreed. Accepting it and complaining afterwards is a considerably weaker position than declining to accept until it is corrected.
That said, refusing possession has costs of its own, including continued rent elsewhere and the loss of the defect liability clock starting. It is a decision to take deliberately rather than in frustration.
Where the issue is significant, take advice before signing anything, and be careful about documents that record acceptance without qualification.
Where it is a normal set of snags, accept with the list attached and qualified. That is the ordinary and correct outcome, and it preserves your position without delaying your move.
