After years of a payment plan, key collection finally arrives. It is also the moment I see the most avoidable mistakes, because excitement pushes buyers to sign quickly. Handover is a process with clear steps, payments to prepare and a technical inspection that can protect the value of your property. This is how I manage it with clients.
The handover notice
It starts with the developer’s notice, issued once the project has its completion certificate. It typically sets out the expected date, the outstanding balance, the documents required and how to book your inspection. Read it straight away. Deadlines are real, and the final payment needs organising early, especially if you plan to finance the last instalment with a mortgage.
What you pay at handover
Besides the balance of the price, a few items are standard. Service charges usually start from the handover date, and you can check the approved budget for your building on the Dubai Land Department system. Activating electricity and water requires a refundable DEWA deposit, around AED 2,000 for an apartment and AED 4,000 for a villa, plus small connection fees. Where there is district cooling, expect a deposit and charges from that provider. Finally, the provisional Oqood registration is converted into a title deed, for a modest issuance fee. Amounts change, so I always reconfirm them before key collection.
Snagging: the inspection that protects your investment
Snagging is a detailed check of the unit before you accept it. Defects in finishing and installations are recorded with photos and logged through the developer’s official process, and the developer is responsible for fixing them. For high-end homes I nearly always recommend an independent inspection company. The cost is small relative to the property value, and they find issues you will not spot by eye.
- Air conditioning: temperature, noise, condensate drainage
- Plumbing: water pressure, drains, signs of leaks
- Electrical: sockets, panels, lighting
- Windows, doors and glazing: closing, seals, scratches
- Floors, walls and ceilings: cracks, grout, levels
- Included appliances, allocated parking and storage
If you cannot be in Dubai on handover day
Many of my clients live abroad and cannot fly in for key collection. That is fine, but it needs organising. Developers generally accept a representative holding a power of attorney, drafted in the right form and, if signed outside the UAE, legalised according to UAE rules. Some steps can also be started online, and the inspection can be handed to a snagging company working under a written mandate. What I never leave to chance is the final handover report: I go through it line by line with the client, on a video call if needed, before anything is signed.
Your warranties after handover
Signing the handover does not mean losing protection. Dubai’s jointly owned property law (Law No. 6 of 2019) makes the developer liable for one year from handover for defective installations such as electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, and for ten years from the completion certificate for structural defects. That is why I keep a full file with every client: SPA, receipts, handover report, snagging report and all defect correspondence.
What I advise my clients
First, do not treat handover as a formality. Book the inspection, never sign the handover form without listing the defects, and ask for a repair date. Second, if the property is going on the rental market, plan furniture, permits and management before key collection so you do not lose months of rent. Third, keys in hand do not mean registration is complete: verify the title deed on the Dubai Land Department system. If you have a unit approaching handover, I can also help you price it for resale or rent, or you can browse the off-plan projects I follow, such as Palace Residences Hillside.
If you are planning a purchase in Dubai and want to structure it properly, book a private call or message me on WhatsApp. I answer personally.
