Your possession inspection: a seepage checklist for new flats

The possession visit is the last time the builder's site team is on hand and motivated to fix things quickly. Once you sign the possession letter and start interiors, every repair means lifting new tiles and repainting new walls. Seepage problems in a new flat usually start at small gaps: a joint around a floor trap, a sill with no slope, a frame set without sealant.

A new flat rarely shows damp on day one, because it may not have been through a monsoon yet. So this checklist looks for the gaps that let water in, not only for wet walls.

Bathrooms

• Grout between floor and wall tiles is complete, with no open joints, especially in the shower area.
• The joint around the floor trap is sealed, and the floor slopes towards it. Pour a bucket of water and watch where it goes.
• Joints where pipes and taps come through the tiles are sealed.
• The WC base and wash basin are sealed to the wall and floor.
• The wall on the other side of the bathroom (often a bedroom) has no cool or discoloured patch at skirting height.

Kitchen, balconies and utility

• The sink is sealed to the counter and the wall behind it.
• Balcony and utility floors slope towards the drain. Water left standing after a bucket test is a problem for every monsoon. See balcony and utility drains.
• The drain cover sits flush, and the joint around it is sealed.
• The step between the balcony and the room is high enough that water does not run inside.
• There is a drip groove on the underside of projections and chajjas, so rain drips off rather than running back to the wall.

Windows and external walls

• Window frames are sealed to the plaster on the outside and inside, with no visible gaps.
• Sills slope outwards and are not cracked. See window frames for how rain gets in here.
• Weep holes in sliding window tracks are open, not blocked by plaster or paint.
• External wall plaster has no cracks you can see from the balcony or the windows.
• AC drain pipe points are planned, so the outdoor unit does not drip onto the wall.

What to write down

A snag that is not written down did not happen, as far as a dispute is concerned. For each item, record:

Send the list by email to the builder's customer care address as well as handing it to the site team. Keep the acknowledgement. Under Section 14(3) of the RERA Act, 2016, defects brought to the builder's notice within five years from the date of handing over possession should be rectified without further charge within 30 days. The defect liability deadline calculator works out the window from the date you enter.

Before you sign the possession letter

Read the possession letter before you sign. Some include wording that you have inspected the flat and accept its condition. Signing does not usually remove your rights under the Act, but you are better placed if your snag list is attached or acknowledged in writing first. If you are not sure what a clause means, ask a lawyer.

If the builder agrees to fix items after you take the keys, ask for a target date against each number on your list. Check the repairs before your interiors contractor starts. A wall that was wet needs time to dry before it is painted or panelled, and a re-scan of the same spots against the original readings shows whether it is drying.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your state's rules may differ.

A possession check adds moisture and thermal readings to this list, numbers each finding for the site engineer, and includes the Defect Claim Pack.