Flat Possession Checklist 2026: What Mumbai Buyers Must Check

A flat possession checklist is the one document most Mumbai buyers wish they had prepared before the handover day. Possession season is in full swing across MMR this year. Several large projects reached their MahaRERA possession dates in 2026, including Godrej Urban Park in Chandivali with its 507 homes across nine buildings, and post-monsoon October is when seepage and leakage are easiest to spot. A signed possession letter is hard to argue with later, so the hour you spend inspecting before you sign is worth more than any hour after it.

MahaRERA has been active on defects too. In March 2026 it directed a Borivali developer to fix wall cracks and seepage in two flats within 30 days, after the developer failed to show the problems were only maintenance issues. In May 2026 it penalised a Mumbai builder over defects and delayed conveyance. The law is on the buyer’s side, but only if the buyer records defects properly.

We at Godrej Properties MMR have put together this flat possession checklist from what we see at handovers across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. It covers what to inspect, which documents to collect, what you will pay at possession, and how to raise defects so they actually get fixed.

Possession starts with a letter, not a key. Under RERA, the developer should offer possession only after the occupancy certificate (OC) is received, and Section 19(10) of the Act asks you to take physical possession within two months of the OC. Until you take it, Section 11(4)(g) keeps the developer responsible for outgoings such as maintenance and taxes. That gives you a short but real window to prepare.

Use it to do the paperwork first. Ask the developer for a copy of the OC and check that it names your tower and covers your floor. In multi-building projects, OCs often arrive one building at a time, so a neighbour’s handover doesn’t mean yours is ready. Our Urban Park handover review shows how this plays out in a nine-building project. Our guide to buying a flat with or without an OC in Mumbai explains how to verify the certificate online.

Then ask for the final demand letter in writing, at least a week before your visit. Compare every line with your registered agreement. Under the MahaRERA model agreement, the last instalment, usually 5% of the price, falls due at possession after the OC. Anything else, such as advance maintenance or society charges, should already be listed in your agreement or allotment letter. Finally, book the inspection on a weekday with daylight, and bring a helper, a torch, a spirit level, a phone charger for testing sockets, and a bucket.

Snagging means finding and listing small defects in a new flat before you accept it. One Indian inspection guide we reviewed says a typical new home produces 40 to 80 snags. Most are minor, such as a loose hinge or a paint patch, but a few, especially water-related ones, become expensive if they are found after you move in. Operate everything rather than just looking at it. Here is what to check.

• Plumbing: open every tap and shower for a few minutes, flush every WC, and look under sinks and behind the WC for drips. Check hot and cold lines are not swapped, and that water pressure is steady on your floor.
• Waterproofing: pour a bucket of water on the bathroom and balcony floors. It should run to the drain with no pooling. Ask for the flood test (ponding) certificate for the wet areas, and check the ceiling and walls next to bathrooms for damp patches.
• Electrical: test every switch and socket with a phone charger, run the geyser and exhaust fans, and trip each circuit at the distribution board to confirm the labels. Ask for the earthing test report.
• Tiles and flooring: tap tiles with a coin. A hollow sound means poor adhesive beneath, and those tiles crack later. Check for uneven joints, chipped edges and lippage between tiles.
• Windows and doors: open and lock every window and door. Check sliding tracks, seals and drain holes on aluminium windows. In monsoon-facing rooms, look for water marks below the sills.
• Walls and ceilings: look for cracks, uneven plaster and fresh paint over damp spots. Hairline plaster cracks are common, but cracks that run diagonally from window or door corners need a closer look.
• Fixtures and fittings: match brands and models of sanitaryware, kitchen platform, CP fittings and switches against the specification sheet in your agreement.

Photograph every defect with a note of the room and wall. Measure the carpet area of at least one or two rooms against the plan, and record any gap. If you can, schedule a second visit after heavy rain. Leaks often show only then, and October in Mumbai still brings the odd post-monsoon shower.

Your file at handover matters as much as the flat. Banks, the society and future buyers will ask for these papers, and they are harder to get a year later.

On the society: RERA Section 11(4)(e) asks the developer to enable a society within three months of a majority of buyers booking, and Section 17 asks for conveyance to the society within three months of the OC where local law doesn’t set another timeline. Maharashtra’s older MOFA law gives four months for society formation. If your share certificate isn’t ready at possession, get a written date for it.

The possession demand is often larger than buyers expect, because several small charges arrive together. In Maharashtra, the charges that can legitimately be raised at possession include advance maintenance, a sinking fund contribution, share money and society formation costs, legal charges, property tax or land-under-construction (LUC) charges, and electricity and water meter deposits. None of these should be a surprise if your agreement itemises them.

Advance maintenance is usually the largest line. Developers commonly collect 12 to 24 months in advance [VERIFY: varies by project and agreement]. At Godrej Nest in Kandivali East, published maintenance is about Rs 7,200 a month for a 2 BHK, or roughly Rs 3 to Rs 5 per sq ft, so 24 months would come to about Rs 1.73 lakh. Our calculation, using those published rates, is below.

Ask three questions before you pay. Which charges are refundable or transferable to the society? When does maintenance start, from the possession offer date or from the date you take keys? And which amenities will be working on your handover date? If an amenity isn’t ready, ask in writing how that affects the maintenance you pay. Keep separate receipts for each head, because the society will need them when the developer hands over the accounts.

Section 14(3) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act is the buyer’s strongest protection after possession. If any structural defect, or any defect in workmanship, quality or services under the agreement, is brought to the developer’s notice within five years of handing over possession, the developer must fix it within 30 days at no charge. If it doesn’t, the buyer can claim compensation. The clock runs from possession, which is why the date on your possession letter matters.

In the March 2026 Borivali case, MahaRERA rejected the developer’s argument that the liability period was three years, and held that a bare denial of defects, without expert evidence, did not answer the buyers’ inspection report.

Follow these steps to make a defect claim stick:

1. Attach the snag list to the possession letter and keep a copy signed or acknowledged by the developer’s representative.
2. Report new defects in writing by email to the developer’s customer care, with dated photos and the flat number. Phone calls leave no record.
3. Ask for a reference number and a repair date. The 30-day period starts from your notice.
4. Allow access for inspection and repair, and record the visits. Developers often argue that defects come from the owner’s alterations or poor maintenance, so avoid changes to wet areas before repairs are signed off.
5. Get an independent report from a structural engineer or inspection firm for anything serious, such as seepage or cracks. In MahaRERA hearings, evidence carries more weight than denial.
6. File a MahaRERA complaint if the defect isn’t fixed. Collective complaints through the society can be stronger for common-area problems.

One caution from the case law. MahaRERA has sided with developers where seepage was shown to come from wear and tear or later changes by the owner. Record the condition of your flat on day one, and you remove that argument.

Two Godrej Properties Limited projects show both ends of the possession process this year. Godrej Urban Park in Chandivali (MahaRERA P51800028364) reached its proposed possession date of September 2026, with 507 homes across nine buildings sized 451 to 996 sq ft. With that many buildings, handover is likely to happen in phases, so each buyer should check that the OC covers their own building before accepting keys.

Godrej Nest in Kandivali East is the other end. It is a completed project with its OC received, where a buyer can inspect the exact flat before paying anything and see published maintenance rates in advance. A ready project removes the guesswork about dates, not the need to snag the flat.

Q: What should be on a flat possession checklist in Mumbai?

Check the OC covers your building, inspect plumbing, electrical points, waterproofing, tiles, windows and walls, measure the carpet area, and record every defect in writing with photos. Collect the possession letter, OC copy, registered agreement, Index II, receipts, no-dues letter, warranties and utility papers before you leave.

Q: Can I refuse possession if there are defects?

You can delay accepting possession until serious defects are fixed, and you should not accept a flat without an OC. For minor snags, a common approach is to accept possession with a signed snag list attached, so the developer’s repair duty under Section 14(3) is on record from day one.

Q: How long is the defect liability period under RERA?

Five years from the date of handing over possession, under Section 14(3). Defects reported in that period must be fixed by the developer within 30 days without charge. MahaRERA has rejected developer arguments for a shorter three-year period.

Q: How much advance maintenance do developers collect in Mumbai?

Typically 12 to 24 months, depending on the project and the agreement. On a 2 BHK paying Rs 7,200 a month, 24 months comes to about Rs 1.73 lakh. Check the figure in your agreement and ask for a separate receipt so the amount can be handed over to the society later.

Q: When do I get the share certificate?

Only after the housing society is formed and registered. RERA asks developers to enable a society within three months of a majority of buyers booking. If the society isn’t formed at possession, ask the developer for a written timeline and keep your allotment and possession papers safe in the meantime.

Q: Do I have to take possession within a fixed time?

Yes. Section 19(10) of RERA asks buyers to take physical possession within two months of the OC being issued. After that, you may have to bear maintenance and other outgoings even if you haven’t moved in, so plan your inspection early in the window.

A good flat possession checklist comes down to three habits: verify the OC before anything else, inspect and record every defect before you sign, and keep the documents that start your five-year RERA protection. Most handover problems are details nobody wrote down.

If you would rather buy a home you can inspect before you pay, explore the ready and near-ready options on Godrej Properties MMR, or ask our team to arrange a site visit with the OC and specification sheet in hand.