Taking Possession of a New Flat in Chennai: Completion Certificate, RERA Timelines and a Handover Checklist

In short: before you take the keys, make sure the building has its completion certificate (in Tamil Nadu it decides whether you get permanent electricity and water connections), inspect the flat and give the builder a written snag list, and collect your documents. Handover also starts RERA's clocks: two months to take possession, and five years in which the builder must fix defects you report.

Check the completion certificate first

Under the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019, a building needs a completion certificate from the authority that approved its plan (CMDA, DTCP or the local body) before it can get service connections such as electricity, water supply and sewerage. Service providers are to give these connections only after the certificate is produced.

Smaller buildings are exempt. Since a March 2024 amendment, residential buildings up to 14 metres high with up to eight dwelling units or 750 sq m don't need one, and since June 2024 the same applies to commercial buildings up to 300 sq m and 14 metres. Most apartment projects are larger than this, so for a flat in a project, ask to see the completion certificate before you take possession. The RERA Act calls the equivalent document an occupancy certificate, and the timelines below run from it.

The RERA clocks that start at handover

Depending on how your purchase was structured, for example a sale deed for your undivided share of land (UDS) with a separate construction agreement, some deeds may already be registered. Ask your lawyer which deeds are already registered in your name and what, if anything, remains to be registered at handover. Our UDS guide explains the structure.

Inspect before you sign the possession letter

Take a day, daylight and a phone charger (to test sockets). Go room by room:

• Walls, ceilings and floors: cracks, damp patches or seepage near bathrooms and external walls; hollow-sounding or chipped tiles.
• Doors and windows: they open, close and lock smoothly; no gaps or cracked glass; railings firm.
• Plumbing: pressure at every tap; no leaks under sinks or around WCs; water drains instead of pooling in bathrooms and balconies.
• Electrical: every switch, socket, light and fan point works; distribution board labelled, with MCBs.
• Common areas: the lift and power backup work; your allotted car park is marked; amenities promised in the agreement are actually complete.

Write every defect down, photograph it, and give the list to the builder in writing. Keep their acknowledgement: it is your record for the five-year defect liability. Our free Flat Handover & Snag Inspection Checklist has the full list and a snag table you can print.

Documents to collect at handover

• Possession letter showing the handover date (your five-year defect period runs from it).
• Copies of your registered deeds, and the completion certificate.
• Receipts for everything you've paid, including car parking, corpus and maintenance deposits, and GST.
• Details for moving the electricity and water connections, and the property tax assessment, to your name. See our Chennai property tax guide.
• Warranty cards for fittings and equipment, and the final floor plan with the carpet area in your agreement.
• Owners' association contacts and maintenance terms.

If possession is late

Your agreement for sale states the possession date. If the builder misses it, section 18 of the RERA Act lets you either withdraw and claim a refund with interest, or stay in the project and claim interest for every month of delay until you get possession.

• Write to the builder first and ask for the status and a revised date in writing. Our possession delay letter template does this.
• If the reply isn't satisfactory, you can file a complaint with TNRERA: here's how to file a TNRERA complaint.

Still deciding between a ready flat and one under construction? Our comparison covers the trade-offs, and the free project comparison sheet helps you line projects up side by side. All our templates are on the templates page.