In short
You take over a new-build flat in Georgia once the competent authority has approved the building's commissioning. Before signing the acceptance act, check windows, waterproofing, electrics, water and the floor area against the contract. Defects go into the act with a deadline for repair, not into a verbal promise. Then have yourself registered as owner and check the registry extract.
The handover in four stepsDo not sign any statement that you accept the flat free of defects or waive claims before it has been inspected.
Snag list by frame stageProcess
From the finished building to a registry extract in your name. Allow half a day for the inspection, not half an hour.
On completion, the competent authority, the city hall in Tbilisi and Batumi, confirms by administrative act that the building was built as permitted. The basis is Government Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019. Ask for the act's number and date. Without it, flats are normally not registered individually.
Work through the snag list for your frame stage room by room, in daylight, with power and water on. Measure the floor area and compare it with the contract and floor plan. Photograph every defect with the date.
The acceptance act should list each defect, a repair deadline and the measured area. Strike out any sentence saying you have no further claims. If the developer refuses to record defects, set out your reservations in writing and send them in a way you can prove.
The National Agency of Public Registry registers you as owner of the individual flat, in 4 working days for GEL 150 in the standard procedure. Check the extract for your name, cadastral code, area and that no developer's mortgage remains on the flat.
Under the Civil Code you can still pursue defects after handover. Under Article 129, contractual claims relating to immovable property are time-barred after six years. The period runs from when you knew, or ought to have known, of the defect (Article 130). The rules on sale and work contracts, and your own contract, may set separate notice periods, so report every defect in writing at once.
If you cannot travel, send a property manager or surveyor. Give them a written list, ask for photos and measurements, and grant a power of attorney for the handover only. A waiver of claims does not belong in it.
Snag list
The further the fit-out, the more there is to check and the more can be missing. In the humid coastal climate, windows, seals and balconies show their weaknesses first.
Black Frame
White Frame
Green Frame
The list does not replace a surveyor. What your flat includes is set by the specification annex to your contract.
Frequently asked questions
Inspection, signing, time limits, floor area and handover from abroad.
First, whether the building has been commissioned. Then windows and seals, balcony and drains, the consumer unit, water pressure and the floor area against the contract. What belongs to your frame stage is set out in the specification annex.
You can sign if every defect is listed with a repair deadline. Do not sign any sentence saying the flat is free of defects or that you waive claims.
The Civil Code sets a six-year limitation period for contractual claims relating to immovable property, running from when you knew, or ought to have known, of the defect. Your contract may set shorter notice periods, so report defects in writing straight away and have your lawyer check the deadline.
The contract decides. Many contracts set a tolerance and a price adjustment per square metre. Measure at handover and record the result in the act before you pay the last instalment.
Yes, a property manager or surveyor with a power of attorney for the handover only. Give them a written list and ask for photos, measurements and a copy of the act before anything is signed.
Last reviewed on November 2, 2026. Sources: Civil Code of Georgia, Arts. 129 and 130 (limitation) and the rules on sale and work contracts (matsne.gov.ge, version of 25 June 2026), Government of Georgia Resolution No. 255 of 31 May 2019 (building permits and commissioning) (matsne.gov.ge), National Agency of Public Registry (napr.gov.ge): fees and terms. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Read next
The frame stages in detail, the building permit and managing from abroad.
Every project page shows the frame stage and planned completion. The handover shows whether both hold.