Snagging comes from the English word snag, a small flaw or catch. It means inspecting a newly built apartment or villa before taking it over. The buyer or an appointed inspector walks through every room and records each defect in a list, the snag list. The developer fixes the items, and a second walkthrough checks that everything is done.
In Dubai snagging is part of handover, the transfer at the end of an off-plan purchase. The inspection itself is market practice; Law No. 6 of 2019 on jointly owned property does not regulate it. A typical inspection covers walls, floors and tiles, doors and windows, air conditioning, electrics, water and drainage, and the kitchen and bathrooms. Photos labelled with room and date make the list clear for the developer.
What matters most are the deadlines the law sets for the developer. Defects in installations such as mechanical, electrical, sanitary and sewerage works must be fixed for one year from handover of the unit. For defects in structural parts the developer is liable for ten years from the project’s completion certificate. If an owner does not take possession of the unit, the one-year period starts from the completion certificate instead. Agreements made after the law came into force that contradict these rules are void (Art. 40, source: Dubai Legislation Portal).
For buyers this means: report defects early and in writing. Anything missed during snagging can still be reported within the first year after handover. After that, Art. 40 leaves only the liability for structural parts. Delaying handover shortens your own period, because it then runs from the completion certificate.
Defects in common areas such as the lobby, pool or facade do not have to be pursued by a single buyer alone. The owners committee of a development has the task of reporting defects in structural parts and common areas to the management entity or RERA (Art. 24). How management and committee work together is explained in our entry on the owners association.
Law No. 6 of 2019 applies only in Dubai. In Ras Al Khaimah, warranty and handover are set out in the purchase contract and the developer’s documents, so both belong on the table before you buy. We carry out a documented snagging inspection with a photo report for our buyers before the keys change hands, even if they are not in the country. See how it works on our buying property in Dubai page.
