Property Snagging in Dubai: Handover Inspection Checklist for Off-Plan Buyers

Snagging is the inspection of a newly built property for defects before or at handover, with each fault recorded in a snag list for the developer to fix. In Dubai, Article 40 of Law No. 6 of 2019 keeps developers liable for defective installations for one year from handover and for structural defects for ten years.

What is snagging in real estate?

Snagging is the process of inspecting a newly completed property and listing everything that is unfinished, damaged or not working. Each item is a "snag". The written record is a snag list or snagging list, and a version with photographs is usually called a snagging report. In construction, "snagging work" means the remedial work a contractor does to clear those items.

Snagging is a practical term, not a legal one. The word does not appear in any of the Dubai laws quoted in this guide. What the law does contain is a set of developer liability periods for defects, in Article 40 of Law No. 6 of 2019 Concerning Ownership of Jointly Owned Real Property in the Emirate of Dubai. For a buyer of an off-plan property, a dated snag list is the written record to point to if you later rely on those periods.

Who is responsible for snagging and fixing defects?

The buyer finds and reports defects, and the developer is liable for the defects that the law and the sale agreement cover. Article 40 of Law No. 6 of 2019, headed "Liability of Developers", sets two periods. Paragraph (a) applies subject to the provisions on contractor agreements in Federal Law No. 5 of 1985.

Type of defect	Liability period	When the clock starts	Source
Defects in the structural parts of the jointly owned property	Ten years	Date of obtaining the project's completion certificate	Article 40(a)
Defective installations: mechanical and electrical works, sanitary and sewerage installations, and similar installations	One year	Date of handover of the unit to the owner	Article 40(b)
The same installations, where the owner refrains from taking possession	One year	Date of obtaining the project's completion certificate	Article 40(b)

Two further paragraphs protect buyers. Article 40(c) says nothing in the law precludes or prejudices rights or warranties granted to owners against developers under any other legislation. Article 40(d) says an agreement made after the law comes into force that contradicts Article 40 in any way is deemed null and void.

The one-year wording covers "installations". It does not expressly list cosmetic finishes such as paint, tiling or joinery, and the article does not say whether they count. For those, look to your sale agreement and to any other legislation, whose rights and warranties Article 40(c) leaves in place. That is the main reason to record finishing defects in writing before or at handover.

Shared areas work differently. Under Article 24 of the same law, the Owners Committee verifies that the Management Entity maintains and repairs the Common Parts, and notifies the Management Entity or RERA of any defects in the structural parts and of any damage to the Common Parts that requires urgent repair.

What are the developer's handover obligations in Dubai?

Once a project has its completion certificate, the developer may not refuse to hand over the unit or register it in the buyer's name, provided the buyer has fulfilled all contractual obligations. That rule is in Article 7 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, the implementing bylaw of the interim register law. The legal sequence is:

1. Completion certificate. Dubai Municipality's Building Control and Building Permits Department states that it has laid down procedures for issuing Completion Certificates.
2. Registration. Under Article 8 of Law No. 13 of 2008, developers must enter completed projects in the Property Register once they receive the completion certificate, including entering sold units in the name of purchasers who fulfilled their contractual obligations.
3. Handover. Under Article 7 of Resolution No. 6 of 2010, the developer hands over the unit and must register it, with all facilities allocated to it such as car parks, in the purchaser's name.
4. Retention. Under Article 14 of Law No. 8 of 2007, the escrow agent must retain 5% of the total value of the project's escrow account once the developer obtains the completion certificate. The retained amount is released to the developer one year from the registration of units in the name of purchasers.

The Dubai Land Department describes that retention in its frequently asked questions as a guarantee that requires the developer or contractor to address defects that are clear upon completion or that may appear within one year after handover.

Because handover depends on your contractual obligations being met, check which instalments your sale agreement makes due by then. The payment plan calculator lays out a schedule, and the guide to buying off-plan in Dubai covers the earlier stages.

What should a snagging list include?

A snagging list should describe each defect precisely enough that a contractor who has never seen the unit can find it. As a simple snagging list template, use one row per defect with these columns: item number, room and exact location, description, photo reference, date reported, developer response, and date fixed and re-checked.

The property inspection checklist below is general construction practice, not an official list. Take the sale agreement, floor plan and specification, plus a torch, tape measure, spirit level, stickers and a phone charger for testing sockets.

Area	What to check
Doors and windows	Every one opens, closes and locks. No sticking, damaged seals, scratched glass or missing keys.
Joinery	Wardrobes, kitchen cabinets and drawers are aligned, with no chips or loose hinges.
Walls and ceilings	No cracks, uneven plaster, paint runs, stains or water marks, viewed in daylight.
Floors and tiles	No hollow-sounding, cracked or uneven tiles. Grout lines are complete.
Electrical	Every socket and light switch works. The distribution board is labelled. Doorbell, intercom, extractor fans and fitted appliances work.
Plumbing	Every tap runs hot and cold, every toilet flushes, and basins, showers and floor drains empty quickly. No leaks under sinks or at the water heater.
Wet area seals	Silicone around baths, shower trays and worktops is continuous.
Air conditioning	Each thermostat responds, air flows from every grille and nothing drips.
Balcony or terrace	The balustrade is firm and water drains away from the doors.
Parking and access	The allocated parking space, storage unit, access cards and remote controls are as agreed and working.
Villas and townhouses	Roof, external walls, boundary walls, gates and garden drainage, as far as you can check safely.
Size and specification	Room dimensions match the plan. Fittings, finishes and appliances match the agreement.

Under Article 13 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010, the developer must compensate the purchaser if the actual area of the unit is less than its net area by more than 5%. Article 20 lists a material deviation from the agreed specifications as a ground on which a purchaser may resort to the competent court to seek termination.

How does the snagging inspection and handover process work?

The laws quoted here set no snagging procedure, so the steps depend on your developer and your sale agreement. A workable sequence is:

1. Read the handover clauses of your sale agreement and the developer's handover notice, and note every date and payment.
2. Ask the developer in writing when you can inspect, and whether you may bring an independent inspector.
3. Inspect in daylight with power and water connected.
4. Send the snag list in writing, with photographs, and keep proof of the date.
5. Get a written response to each item, then re-inspect after the repairs.
6. Keep the handover documents and note the handover date, because the one-year period in Article 40(b) runs from it.
7. Report any new installation defects in writing before that year ends.

How long is the snagging period in Dubai?

Dubai law does not set a "snagging period" by that name. The relevant periods are those in Article 40 of Law No. 6 of 2019: one year from the date of handover of the unit for defective installations, and ten years from the date of the completion certificate for defects in the structural parts.

Where an owner refrains from taking possession of the unit for any reason, the one-year period starts from the date of the completion certificate, so delaying handover does not buy extra time.

One Dubai Land Department publication words the one-year period differently. Its investor guide Know Your Rights, published with Al Tamimi & Company and marked copyright 2017, describes the earlier Law No. 27 of 2007 and says developers are liable for minor defects for one year "from the date of obtaining the certificate of building completion". Law No. 6 of 2019 repealed Law No. 27 of 2007, and its Article 40(b) counts the year from the handover of the unit to the owner, so this guide follows the 2019 law. If your developer or contract counts from the completion certificate, ask a lawyer licensed in the UAE which date applies to you.

This guide gives no figure for how long an inspection takes, because no official source states one.

Is it worth paying for a snagging survey, and what does it cost?

That is your decision. None of the Dubai laws quoted in this guide requires a professional inspection, and Article 40 does not make the developer's liability depend on who found the defect.

A professional inspection may suit you if you cannot attend, if the unit is large, or if you are not confident testing electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems. This guide does not name or recommend snagging companies.

On cost, none of the official sources used for this guide publishes a price for a snagging or property inspection in Dubai, so none is quoted here. Ask for written quotes that state what is tested and what the report contains. Other costs around handover are covered in the guide to the hidden costs of buying property in Dubai.

What happens after handover?

Running costs and, if needed, dispute routes come next. Under Article 25 of Law No. 6 of 2019, an owner pays the Management Entity a share of the annual Service Charges, calculated on the ratio of the area of the owner's unit to the total area of the jointly owned property. Estimate it with the service charge calculator and see the guide to the Dubai service charge index and Mollak.

If the developer does not fix reported defects, Article 42 of Law No. 6 of 2019 gives the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all disputes related to the rights and obligations stipulated in that law. That is the wording of the law. Which forum hears a particular claim is a question for a lawyer licensed in the UAE. The Dubai Land Department also lists "Complaint Against a Real Estate Company" and "Inquiries Concerning Contractual Disputes" on its real estate complaints page.

In the most serious cases, Article 20 of Executive Council Resolution No. 6 of 2010 allows a purchaser to resort to the competent court to seek termination if it is proven after handover that the unit is unfit for use due to material construction defects. That is a matter for a lawyer licensed in the UAE.

What this does not cover

Law No. 6 of 2019 applies to master projects and jointly owned property in the Emirate of Dubai, including those in Special Development Zones and free zones, so this guide does not cover Abu Dhabi or the other emirates. It does not cover resale purchases. It is general information, not legal advice. For the wider buying process, see the guide to investing in off-plan projects in Dubai.