Step 7 of 8: Possession — You get the keys — after the snag list.
Step 7 of 8
Possession
You get the keys — after the snag list.
Possession is the handover: the keys, a possession letter, and the flat in the condition the agreement promised. Walk the flat with a snag list before you accept it. The builder will ask for a maintenance deposit and advance maintenance. Under the RERA Act, structural and workmanship defects reported within five years of possession must be fixed by the builder.
The money at this step
A maintenance deposit and advance maintenance charges, as set out in the agreement. Any amount not in the agreement is a question.
Where Pinly helps
This step's checklist — snag list, possession letter, meter readings — is on this page. Pinly does not inspect flats.
Possession checklistHow long this usually takes
Typically 1–4 weeks around registration, depending on snags and the builder's handover schedule.
You are done with this step when
You have the keys, a possession letter with the date, and the snag list either closed or written into the letter with dates.
Your next step · Possession
Walk the flat with a snag list before you accept the keys
Your last payment is your last leverage. Close the snag list, or get every open item dated in the possession letter — the date also starts the five-year defect-liability period.
Two hours on site
Documents at this step
Possession letter
Records the handover date and any open snags.
Signed snag list
What was and was not fixed, in writing.
Maintenance deposit receipt
You will want it back, or accounted for, when the association takes over.
Questions to ask
- When will the open snags be fixed, and will you put the dates in the possession letter?
- What does the maintenance deposit cover, and for how long?
- How do I report a defect during the defect-liability period?
Traps at this step
Paying everything before the snags are closed
Your last payment is your last leverage. Close the list first, or get the open items dated in writing.
Not putting defects in writing
The five-year defect liability helps only if you report defects in writing, inside the period.
This is general guidance to help you plan, not legal, tax or financial advice. Process, charges and stamp duty change, and vary by bank, builder and authority. Have a property lawyer read your documents, and confirm every figure before you transact. Pinly does not verify title, and does not perform legal due diligence on your behalf.