Property handover and title registration

The end of an off-plan purchase looks like a single day with keys in it, but in practice it is a chain of events, and the order matters more than the speed. First comes the handover notice, then the inspection and the list of defects, then the final balance, then the signature and the keys — and only after that title registration, which runs on its own timetable. Below: what each step means, what to sign, and what not to sign while defects are still open.

What handover means

Handover is the point at which the developer stops being the occupier of a building site inside your apartment and you take physical delivery: keys, access, and with them responsibility for upkeep. From that day service charges and utilities typically start to accrue, and the developer's warranty obligations are counted from the date the handover document is signed.

Two different transfers need to be kept apart. Handover is physical possession of the apartment. Title registration is the legal recording of ownership in the register. They do not coincide in time, and you may live in the unit or let it long before the title is in your hands. How wide that gap is in your project is set by your contract and the developer's practice, not by a general rule.

The handover notice

A handover notice (notice of readiness) is the developer's written statement that the unit is ready for inspection and acceptance, inviting you to attend within a stated period. It is a document, not a call from a sales manager: from the date of the notice the periods usually start running in which you must inspect and pay the final balance.

What to check in the notice itself:

• The date it was issued and how it was delivered — every later deadline is counted from these.
• The window for attending the inspection, and what happens if you do not attend. Some contracts treat non-attendance as acceptance by default.
• The amount payable and every line inside it: the balance of the price, service charges for the first period, utility deposits, administration fees.
• The clause of the contract under which the notice is served.

If attending in person is impossible, settle the question of a representative acting under a power of attorney well before the inspection date rather than on the day: the scope of the powers and the formalities need to be agreed with both the developer and a lawyer.

Inspection and the snag list

A snag list (defect list, punch list) is a schedule of defects signed by both sides and dated on the day of inspection. It exists for exactly one reason: so that a month later nobody has to argue verbally about whether the crack in the glass was there before you or appeared afterwards.

The inspection itself is simple and needs no special training, though a technical specialist will spot more:

1. Check the unit against the specification in the contract: layout, finishes, equipment brands, kitchen and bathroom fit-out. Substitution of materials for "equivalents" is the most common source of dispute.
2. Test the services: water at every outlet, pressure and drainage, air conditioning, sockets, switches, the internet connection, extraction.
3. Check windows and doors for opening, closing and sealing, and walls and ceilings for signs of leaks.
4. Photograph everything, including meters with their readings, and date the photos.
5. Enter every defect in the list in writing, get the developer's representative to sign, and take your own copy away.

Rectification deadlines and the procedure for re-inspection belong in the document itself. A snag list without deadlines is a wish list.

The handover balance

The handover balance (final balance, completion payment) is the remainder of the price paid before you receive the keys. It usually comes with amounts that never appeared separately in the payment schedule, which is why the total is larger than expected.

The key question is sequence: do you pay before the inspection or after it. The contract may require the balance on notice regardless of what the inspection finds. If so, your leverage is not withholding payment but a signed snag list and a qualification in the acceptance document. Discuss this with a lawyer before the money leaves, because the negotiating position changes once it has.

We do not confirm any mandatory statutory sequence of "inspect first, pay later" for Cambodia — the order is set by your contract.

The completion certificate

A completion certificate (occupancy certificate) is official confirmation that the building has been completed and is cleared for occupation. It relates to the building as a whole rather than to your unit, and it makes sense to ask for it before you accept the apartment and start paying charges.

It is reasonable to ask the developer for a dated copy and to establish which document you are actually being shown: there are many permits issued during construction and not every one of them evidences completion. The exact list and the names of the documents differ between projects, so the check has to be specific rather than based on a generic list found online. A practical signal: if the building is being occupied but the completion document is not shown on request, that is a reason to ask in writing.

Clean acceptance: what you are signing

Clean acceptance is signing a document confirming that you have taken the unit in proper condition with no claims. It is the most expensive signature in the whole process, because it closes the question of visible defects.

Hence the rule: if there are defects, the acceptance document is signed with the snag list attached and a qualification that acceptance is made subject to defects to be rectified within an agreed period. Do not sign a clean acceptance against a promise to "fix it next week" — a promise is not a document.

Look separately at deemed-acceptance clauses: the contract may provide that the unit is treated as accepted if you fail to attend the inspection or fail to raise defects within the stated window. Such clauses do occur, and it is better to know about them before the notice arrives rather than after.

The defect liability period after handover

The defect liability period (DLP) and warranty is the period during which the developer must remedy defects that appear after handover. It runs from the date of the acceptance document rather than the date of payment, and is usually split by element: structure, services, finishes, equipment.

We do not confirm any single statutory warranty length applicable to all projects in Cambodia. Check the contract for the period for each category, what is excluded, how a claim is made and within what response time, and who stands behind built-in appliances — the developer or the manufacturer under a separate warranty card. A fuller treatment is in the guide to defects and warranty.

Title registration

Title registration is the entry of your ownership in the official register and the issue of the ownership document for the unit. Until that point you hold a contract and physical possession, but not a register entry.

What matters practically at this stage:

• Check the spelling of your name and passport details across every document — a one-letter discrepancy usually means redoing the paperwork.
• Establish who files: the developer centrally for the whole building, or you through your own representative.
• Clarify which fees and taxes attach to registration and who bears them under the contract.
• Ask for indicative timelines in writing and record what you will receive at the end.
• Keep the whole pack: contract, annexes, payment confirmations, handover document, snag list. The same pack is what a resale will need.

Actual timelines, rates and filing procedure depend on the project, the form of ownership and current practice at the institutions, so we quote neither rates nor calendar norms here. How the registers work and what is checked in them is covered in registry and official records, and the buyer's paperwork is listed in the document pack.

The sequence at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Can I refuse to sign acceptance if I find defects?

It is usually more practical not to refuse outright but to sign subject to a qualification, with the snag list and rectification deadlines attached. An outright refusal is sometimes treated by the contract as avoidance of acceptance with its own consequences, so the answer depends on your contract wording. What you certainly should not do is sign a clean acceptance against a verbal promise to fix everything.

Do I pay the final balance before or after the inspection?

Whichever your contract says: the sequence is set there, and it may require the balance on notice regardless of what the inspection finds. We do not confirm any mandatory statutory order for Cambodia. If payment comes first, your protection is the signed snag list and a qualification in the acceptance document — agree the wording with a lawyer in advance.

When will I get the title after receiving the keys?

There is no single period and we do not state one: handover and registration of ownership are different events, and the gap between them depends on the project, the form of ownership and current registration practice. The right step is to ask the developer for indicative timelines and the filing procedure in writing, and to clarify who files and who bears the related charges.

What is most important to take away from the handover?

Your copy of the acceptance document, the snag list signed by both sides with deadlines, dated photographs, recorded meter readings, payment confirmations for every line, and warranty papers for the equipment. The same pack is what you will need for a warranty claim and for a future resale.

Sources

Transaction support practice in Phnom Penh · NovAsia corpus on off-plan and handover · checked July 2026. Statutory warranty durations, calendar norms for title registration and a mandatory "inspect then pay" sequence for Cambodia are not confirmed in this review: all of the above is set by your contract, the project documents and current institutional practice — verify against your own contract and with an independent lawyer. Document names and composition differ between projects. This content is for general information only and is not legal advice.