Snag list at possession: OC check, flat inspection and handover documents

8.4.1 What should you check before you take possession?

Before you take possession, check that the building has an occupancy certificate (OC), then inspect your flat and list every defect. The OC comes first, because it is the permission to occupy the building. Section 11(4)(b) of the RERA Act, 2016 makes the builder responsible for obtaining the completion certificate or the OC, or both. Local laws decide which. The builder must make it available to buyers. Inside Greater Bengaluru, the City Corporation grants the OC under Section 241 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024. Section 241(5) bars occupation until the Commissioner grants permission, or fails to refuse within 30 days of the notice of completion. A possession letter from the builder is not an OC. Ask for a copy of the OC that names your tower, and check the issuer, the date and any conditions. The OC versus CC chapter explains the two certificates.

Check	Where	Why it matters
OC for your tower	Copy from the builder	Permission to occupy the building
Possession letter	From the builder	Not an OC; it starts the handover
Your flat against the agreement	Agreement for sale and approved plan	The flat must match what you bought
Your snag list	Your own inspection	The record of defects to fix

8.4.2 How do you inspect a flat and make a snag list?

Inspect the flat room by room in daylight, and write down every defect with a photograph and its location. Take the approved floor plan, a measuring tape, a torch, a spirit level app on your phone and a phone charger to test sockets. Start at the main door and move clockwise through each room. Check walls and ceilings for cracks, damp patches and uneven paint. Check floor tiles for cracks, gaps and hollow sounds when you tap them. Open and close every door and window, and check the locks. Turn on every tap and shower, and check for leaks under the sinks. Test every switch and socket. Check that the bathroom and balcony floors slope to the drain, by pouring a little water. Compare the room sizes with the plan. Write each defect as one line: the room, the item, the problem and the photo number. Give the builder a dated copy, and keep one.

Area	What to check
Walls and ceilings	Cracks, damp patches, uneven paint
Floors	Cracked or hollow tiles, gaps, level
Doors and windows	Opening, closing, locks, glass, seals
Plumbing	Leaks, water pressure, drainage slope
Electrical	Every switch, socket and light point
Fittings and sizes	Against the agreement and the floor plan

8.4.3 What happens to defects after you take possession?

After possession, the RERA Act still makes the builder fix defects for five years. Section 14(3) covers a structural defect, or a defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services. It also covers any other obligation of the builder under the agreement for sale. If you report such a defect within five years from the date of possession, the builder must fix it without further charge, within 30 days. If the builder fails, you are entitled to compensation under the Act. Section 11(4)(a) keeps this duty even after the conveyance deed is executed. So taking possession does not end your right to repairs. Report each defect in writing, and keep the date. A snag that you list at possession is the clearest proof that the defect existed from the start. If the builder does not fix it within 30 days, you can file a complaint with K-RERA. The RERA complaint chapter explains the steps.

Rule	What it says	Source
Defect period	Five years from the date of possession	Section 14(3)
Repair time	Within 30 days of your report, free of charge	Section 14(3)
If not fixed	You can get compensation under the Act	Section 14(3)
After the conveyance deed	The duty continues	Section 11(4)(a), proviso

8.4.4 What documents should you collect at handover?

At handover, collect the papers that prove your ownership, your payments and the building’s approval. Section 17(1) of the RERA Act makes the builder execute a registered conveyance deed in your favour. The builder must also hand over physical possession and the other title documents. The deed is due within the period set by local laws. If no local law sets a period, the Act gives three months from the date of the OC. Section 19(11) says you must take part in registering the deed. Ask for a copy of the OC for your tower and the possession letter. Keep the receipts for every payment and the final statement of account. Collect the warranty cards and manuals for the fittings, and the keys and access cards. Check that the registered sale deed names you and the flat correctly. The sale deed registration chapter explains the registration steps. Store all of these together, in paper and as scans.

Document	Why you need it
OC for your tower	Proof the building may be occupied
Possession letter	The date that starts the five-year defect period
Registered sale deed	Proof of your ownership
Payment receipts and final statement	Proof of what you paid
Warranty cards, manuals, keys and access cards	For repairs and daily use

8.4.5 How soon must you take possession, and what comes next?

Take possession within two months of the OC, because the RERA Act makes this your duty. Section 19(10) says every allottee must take physical possession of the flat within two months of the occupancy certificate for it. Plan your snag inspection early in those two months, so the builder has time to fix the list. Note the date you take possession, because it starts the five-year defect period under Section 14(3). After possession, two more steps follow. First, the khata of the flat must move to your name. Second, the owners’ association takes over the common areas. Section 17(2) makes the builder hand over the documents and plans, including the common areas, to the association of allottees or the competent authority. The next chapter, on khata transfer and the association, explains both steps. Keep paying your share of maintenance from the date of possession, as your agreement says.

1. Get the OC for your tower.
2. Book a pre-possession inspection early in the two months.
3. Give the builder your dated snag list.
4. Take possession, and note the date.
5. Start the khata transfer and join the owners’ association.

Sachi reads K-RERA filings for Bangalore projects, including completion and OC status. To check your project’s OC before possession, Ask Sachi.