Handover in Dubai: the snagging inspection, and what not to sign

Handover is the moment the risk transfers from the developer to you, and it is routinely treated as a formality. It is the last point at which defects are cheap to fix.

Before the invitation arrives

Keys follow the building completion certificate issued by the authorities, not the removal of the site hoardings. If you are invited to take handover before that document exists, the invitation is premature.

Check the date in your contract against the actual handover date and note the difference. If the delay exceeds the contractual date plus the grace period, that is a legal position worth understanding before you sign anything at the handover desk.

The inspection

A snagging inspection is a systematic walk-through with everything recorded. What deserves attention, in rough order of what actually goes wrong:

• Air conditioning. Every unit running, drainage clear, no condensation staining. In this climate this is the single most important system.
• Water. Pressure at every outlet, drainage under sinks and in bathrooms, no leaks under the units, working shut-off valves.
• Electrics. Every socket live, the distribution board labelled, lighting circuits correct.
• Glazing and doors. Seals, alignment, whether balcony doors close properly, and evidence of water ingress at the frames.
• Finishes. Tile levels and grouting, joinery alignment, paint. Photograph everything.
• Against the contract. Floor area, specification, the appliance and fitting brands you were promised. Substitutions are common and are corrected only if raised now.

Many buyers use an independent snagging company. It is not obligatory, and on a first purchase it usually pays for itself.

What not to sign

Signing the handover form without reservation records that you accept the property as it is. If defects are found, the sequence is: record them in writing, agree a rectification period, re-inspect, and only then sign. Being told the list will be dealt with after you sign is exactly the situation the list exists to prevent.

After the keys

• Utilities transferred to your name with a deposit; without that the property is not habitable or lettable.
• Service charge starts running from handover, not from occupation.
• Title registration at the Land Department — confirm it has actually been issued rather than promised.
• Warranties. The UAE provides a structural warranty on the building and a separate, shorter one covering mechanical and electrical installations. Both run from handover, so the clock starts whether or not you move in — and defects that appear in month eleven are still the developer's problem if raised in writing.