Handover

Handover is the point at which a developer delivers a completed unit to the buyer — keys, access cards and possession — after the building receives its completion certificate and the buyer settles the final instalments and fees. It is a legally loaded moment in UAE off-plan practice. Before accepting handover, buyers should conduct snagging (independently if possible), because acceptance documents often record that the unit was received in good condition; defects noted at handover are far easier to enforce against the developer than those raised later. Handover also triggers practical transitions: service charges start accruing to the owner, utilities are registered in the owner's name, the defect liability period begins to run, and registration moves from the interim register (Oqood) toward the final title deed. Disputes cluster around late handover — where the SPA's delay and compensation clauses govern — and around developers making handover conditional on paying disputed charges.