Accepting a finished flat from the developer: what to check beyond the usual

What's checked in any flat

The “Apartment handover” stage in the app has the same items for every new build: front door, windows and the installation joint, balcony door, walls, floor, ceiling, ventilation, radiators, water supply, electrical panel, meters and floor area. Then come the defect list, handing it to the developer, a follow-up inspection and the certificate. The full list with hints is in New-build apartment handover inspection: a checklist.

With finishes the list grows: wallpaper, tiles and laminate hide work you can't see separately, while the plumbing and electrics are already assembled - you can and should switch them on.

What to bring

• a tape measure;
• a two-metre straightedge or a long level;
• a torch - to shine along the walls from the side;
• a phone charger or a socket tester - to check every socket;
• a phone with the app - to photograph and record straight into the handover stage;
• a copy of the contract with the description of the finishes.

Inspect in daylight: the app's route advises doing the final acceptance in natural light.

What to check beyond the usual

Floor

• Flatness. Put the straightedge down in different places and directions. Under the Russian code SP 29.13330.2011 “Floors”, clause 5.18, the gap under a two-metre control straightedge is no more than 2 mm for laminate, parquet and linoleum and no more than 4 mm for ceramic and porcelain tiles.
• Laminate and parquet: no squeaks, gaps or steps between boards; at the walls there's an expansion gap covered by the skirting. Walk over the whole area.
• Junctions between floor finishes - thresholds or an even joint, usually under a door.

Tiles in the bathroom and kitchen

• Voids. Tap the tiles: a hollow sound means a void underneath.
• Flatness and joints: a straightedge against the wall, joints of even width, grout with no gaps, corners and junctions sealed.
• The bath or shower tray sits level, and the joint at the rim is sealed.
• Access hatches open and give access to the meters and manifolds.

How to accept tiling in detail is in Tiling: how to accept tile work.

Walls and ceiling

• Look at the walls in daylight and artificial light: even paint, bubbles and seams in the wallpaper, chipped corners.
• Shine the torch along the wall from the side - it shows unevenness in the skim coat.
• Put the straightedge against the wall in several places. Since 1 February 2026 there are no finishing tolerance tables in SP 71.13330.2017: quality requirements come from the contract. The former figures as a guide are in Wall flatness.
• The ceiling - no cracks, stains or signs of leaks.

Doors

• Interior doors open and close easily, don't catch on the floor, and the gaps are even.
• Architraves and hardware are in place, handles and latches work.
• The skirting meets the architrave with no gaps.

Plumbing

• Turn on every mixer to cold and hot and let the water run: it drains without delay, and it's dry under the sink.
• Flush the toilet several times and check that the cistern doesn't leak.
• Look at the connections under the bath and sink with the torch.
• The towel rail is firmly fixed.

Electrics

• Flip every switch and check every light.
• Test every socket with the charger or tester.
• Socket and switch frames sit straight and don't wobble.
• The breakers in the panel are labelled - photograph the panel, the photo will come in handy later.

In the app's route, the final check reads: turn on every socket and every mixer.

How to record defects

1. Each defect gets its own line: the room, what's wrong, exactly where.
2. Each line gets photos: a general shot so the place is clear, and the defect close up, with the straightedge or tape measure in the shot if you measured.
3. Hand the list to the developer and get confirmation that it's been accepted. Keep a copy or a photo of the document.
4. When the developer reports the fixes, do a follow-up inspection and check every item. Leave anything not fixed in the certificate.

How to put it in writing and what to do next is in Defects at flat handover.

What the law and the contract say

Flats bought under a shared construction agreement are covered by Russian Federal Law No. 214-FZ of 30.12.2004. Article 7 is about the quality of the property and the developer's warranty: the flat's quality must meet the terms of the contract and mandatory requirements. So the main thing to check the finishes against is the description of the finishes in your contract: what materials and work the developer promised. The article has been amended, so read the warranty periods and what you can claim for defects in the current wording on the official legal information portal pravo.gov.ru (in Russian). We summarise general rules and don't promise the outcome of any particular case. If the flat wasn't bought under a shared construction agreement, other rules apply. These are Russian rules; other countries have their own.

What's next in the app

The app's new-build route is designed for a flat without finishes or with pre-finishing: there's no “Cosmetic renovation” option for a new build in the survey. If you're keeping the developer's finishes, after the handover remove the stages you don't need from the route: the “Stages” tab → next to the “Route” heading, “Edit” → ✕ next to the stage. Anything removed can be restored in the same place, under “Removed”. The owner and the designer change the route.

Checklist for accepting a flat with finishes

• The usual inspection is done: door, windows, walls, ceiling, ventilation, radiators, panel, meters.
• The floor is checked with a straightedge, laminate for squeaks and gaps.
• The tiles have been tapped, joints and sealant are fine, hatches open.
• Every door has been opened and closed.
• Every mixer has been turned on, the drains checked, it's dry under the sink.
• Every socket and every switch has been checked.
• All defects are photographed and written into one list, and the list has been handed to the developer.