The short answer
Inspect the flat before you sign the possession letter, with a checklist, a torch, a level, a socket tester and a bucket of water. Check walls, floors, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and fittings, and measure the carpet area. Record every defect with a photograph and a location, give the list to the builder in writing, and get an acknowledgement.
Do not accept wording in the possession letter that says you have found the flat in perfect condition if you have not. Accept possession with the snag list attached, or record that defects remain to be fixed.
After possession, RERA protects you for five years. Section 14(3) of the Act says that if any structural defect, or any other defect in workmanship, quality or provision of services, or any other obligation of the promoter under the agreement, is brought to the promoter's notice within five years of handing over possession, the promoter must rectify it without further charge within 30 days; if it does not, you are entitled to appropriate compensation in the manner provided under the Act.
Before the inspection
Ask for the occupancy certificate (or the completion certificate, depending on the state's terminology) before you take possession. It is the local body's confirmation that the building can be occupied, and without it water and power connections, loans and resale can be difficult. Section 19(10) of the RERA Act requires an allottee to take physical possession within two months of the occupancy certificate being issued, so plan your inspection early.
Get the documents you will check against: the agreement for sale with its specifications schedule, the approved floor plan of your unit, the brochure if it is referred to in the agreement, and the builder's final carpet area statement.
Book the inspection in daylight, ideally on a dry day and then again after rain if you can. Take a helper, a measuring tape or laser meter, a spirit level, a torch, a socket tester or a phone charger, a small rubber mallet or coin for tapping tiles, masking tape to mark defects, and a phone for photos and notes. If you prefer, hire a professional inspection service; agree in writing what it will check and what report you will get.
Room-by-room checks
Walls and ceilings: look along walls with a torch held flat for uneven plaster, cracks, damp patches, efflorescence (white salt marks) and paint defects. Hairline cracks in plaster are common; long, wide, diagonal or stepped cracks, or cracks in beams and columns, need a structural explanation.
Floors and tiles: check that tiles are level, aligned and fully grouted. Tap each tile gently; a hollow sound means poor bonding, which can lead to cracking. Look for chipped edges, colour mismatch and lippage between tiles. Check skirting and threshold joints.
Doors and windows: open and close every door, window and shutter; check locks, handles, hinges, stoppers and the gap at the bottom. Check that window frames are sealed, glass is uncracked, sliding tracks run freely and drain holes are clear. Check that safety grilles are fixed firmly.
Kitchen: check the counter level and joints, the sink and its waste pipe for leaks, the tiles behind the counter, the exhaust point, gas pipeline points if provided and electrical points for appliances.
Bathrooms: run every tap and shower for a few minutes; check water pressure, hot and cold lines, and leaks under the basin and around the WC. Pour water on the floor and check that it slopes towards the drain without pooling. Check the sanitaryware for chips, the flush, the exhaust fan and the waterproofing at the floor-wall junction.
Balconies and utility: pour water and check the slope to the outlet; check the parapet height and railings for firmness; check for dampness on the ceiling of the flat below if you can, or on your own ceilings below the flat above.
Electrical, plumbing and services
Electrical: switch on every light point and test every socket with a tester or a charger. Check that the distribution board has miniature circuit breakers labelled by circuit, an earth leakage device (RCCB or ELCB) if specified, and that switching each breaker turns off the circuits it should. Check the earthing point and ask for the electrical completion or test certificate.
Plumbing: check water supply to every point, the overhead and underground tank connections if you can, the meter, and any leaks in the shafts. Look at the ceiling of each bathroom and kitchen for damp marks.
Common services: check the lift's licence or inspection certificate displayed in the car, fire extinguishers and hydrants, smoke detectors and sprinklers if specified, the generator or power backup to your flat, intercom, CCTV and the water treatment plant. Note anything promised in the agreement but missing.
Parking and storage: check the allotted parking slot number and its dimensions against your allotment letter, and any storage or servant room in the agreement.
Measure the carpet area
Under RERA, a flat is sold on carpet area: the net usable floor area within the walls, excluding external walls, service shafts, exclusive balcony or verandah and exclusive open terrace, but including internal partition walls. Measure each room and add them up, or ask an architect to measure.
Compare the result with the carpet area in your agreement. Many state model agreements for sale allow a small variation and say how the price is adjusted if the final area is more or less; read your agreement's clause. If the shortfall is beyond what the agreement allows, raise it in writing with your measurements before possession.
Our carpet vs built-up vs super built-up area guide explains the definitions and our carpet to super built-up calculator helps you compare quoted areas.
Record everything
Make a snag list with a serial number, room, location, description and photo for each defect. Mark the spot with masking tape before you photograph it, so the builder's team can find it. Keep the photos with their original date and time.
Email the list to the builder's customer care and to the official address in your agreement, and ask for a written acknowledgement and a date by which each item will be fixed. Keep copies of every message.
Reinspect after the builder says the work is done. Tick off what is fixed and send an updated list for what is not. Do not sign a statement that all defects are rectified until they are.
At handover, collect: the possession letter with the date; the occupancy certificate; keys and access cards with a list; manuals and warranty cards for fittings and appliances; meter numbers and connection documents; the society or association membership papers; and receipts for every payment, including maintenance and deposits. Our possession letter template shows what the letter should contain.
The five-year defect liability under RERA
The liability under section 14(3) runs for five years from the date of handing over possession. It covers structural defects and also defects in workmanship, quality or provision of services, and the promoter's other obligations under the agreement. Once you bring a defect to the promoter's notice within that period, it must be fixed without charge within 30 days.
Bring each defect to notice in writing, with photographs and the date you noticed it. If it is not fixed within 30 days, you can file a complaint with the state RERA authority under section 31, asking for rectification and compensation. Compensation under the Act is decided by the adjudicating officer.
Damage caused by your own alterations, poor maintenance or misuse is a different matter; a builder will argue that it is not a defect for which it is liable. Keep records of any work you have done in the flat, and avoid breaking waterproofing or structural elements during interiors.
For common areas, the association of allottees usually takes up defects once it is formed. Section 11(4)(e) requires the promoter to enable the formation of an association within three months of the majority of allottees having booked, or as local laws provide, and the common areas are later handed over to it.
Common mistakes
Signing a possession letter that says the flat is in perfect condition before inspecting it.
Starting interiors before the snag list is closed, which makes it hard to prove that a later leak or crack was the builder's.
Raising defects only by phone or chat. The five-year liability depends on notice; send it in writing and keep a copy.
Forgetting the common areas and services, which affect your daily life as much as your own flat.
Not measuring the carpet area until after registration.
If the builder disputes a defect
Builders sometimes say that a crack is 'normal settlement', that dampness is condensation, or that a defect was caused by the owner's interiors. Answer with evidence: the date you first noticed and reported it, photographs over time, and, where the issue is serious, a short report from an independent structural engineer or a waterproofing specialist.
Keep the conversation in writing. A site visit by the builder's team should end with a written note of what was seen and what will be done. If the builder offers a cosmetic fix for what looks like a structural or waterproofing problem, ask in writing for the cause and the method of repair.
If the 30-day period under section 14(3) passes without a fix, file with the state RERA authority. Attach your notice, the acknowledgement, photographs and any expert report. For common-area defects, a complaint by the association of allottees carries more weight than individual complaints.
Snagging a resale flat
The same checks apply when you buy a resale flat, but there is no builder to fix defects after you buy. Inspect before you agree the price, and use what you find in the negotiation or ask the seller to fix it before registration.
For an older building, also look at the structure: cracks in beams and columns, exposed or rusting reinforcement, leaking terraces and the condition of the plumbing risers. Ask the society for any structural audit report; many municipal bodies require periodic structural audits of older buildings. Our negotiation guide explains how to use an inspection in your offer.
Common questions
What is snagging?
An inspection of a new home, before and at possession, to find defects in construction and finishing that the builder must fix. The result is a written snag list.
How long is the defect liability period under RERA?
Five years from handing over possession. Under section 14(3), a defect brought to the promoter's notice within that time must be fixed without charge within 30 days, failing which the allottee is entitled to compensation as provided under the Act.
Can I refuse possession if there are defects?
You can record the defects and ask for them to be fixed before or at possession. Refusing possession outright may have consequences under your agreement and section 19(10), which requires possession to be taken within two months of the occupancy certificate. Take advice before refusing.
Do I need a professional home inspector?
It is optional. A professional brings tools such as moisture meters and thermal cameras and a structured report, but a careful buyer with a checklist can find most visible defects.
What if the builder does not fix defects within 30 days?
File a complaint with the state RERA authority asking for rectification and compensation, with your written notice, photos and the builder's replies as evidence.
How do I check the carpet area at possession?
Measure the net usable floor area of each room within the walls, including internal partition walls but excluding external walls, shafts, exclusive balconies and terraces, and compare the total with the carpet area in your agreement.
Sources
- Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, section 2(k) (carpet area), section 11(4)(e), section 14(3) (five-year defect liability, rectification within 30 days), section 19(10) (possession within two months of occupancy certificate) and section 31 (complaints); checked 2 October 2026
- State RERA model agreements for sale on variation in carpet area; checked 2 October 2026
Last checked 2026-10-02.