Taking handover of a home: inspection checklist and net area measurement

Legal basis: Law on Housing No. 27/2023/QH15 (effective 1 August 2024) — Articles 37, 152, 153 and the provisions on housing warranties · Regulation on the management and use of apartment buildings issued with Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD dated 31 July 2024, Article 5 · Law on Real Estate Business No. 29/2023/QH15, Article 25 · Updated 20 October 2026.

An apartment's area is calculated on net dimensions, and at handover the actual area and the area stated in the contract must both be written into the handover record or a contract annex. This is the basis for calculating any price difference, the management fee and the area shown on the pink book, so do not sign the record before measuring. Below is a summary of the conditions for handover, how to measure and how differences are handled.

1. The developer may only hand over after acceptance

The 2023 Law on Housing (Article 37, clause 4) only allows homes to be handed over after the housing works have passed acceptance against the approved design and the area's technical infrastructure has passed acceptance according to the project schedule; social infrastructure that must be built under the investment approval must also be completed and accepted. Ask to see the building's completion acceptance result and fire safety acceptance result before signing the record.

2. How net area is calculated

Under Article 5 of the Regulation issued with Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD:

• Included: the floor inside the unit, internal partition walls, balconies and loggias attached to the unit (measured to the inner edge of the balcony or loggia; where there is a shared wall, measured from its inner face).
• Excluded: the unit's external walls, walls dividing units, floor area occupied by columns, service shafts and the walls around service shafts inside the unit.
• This area is written on your certificate and is the basis for the operation and management fee.

The contract may state both the gross floor area (measured to the wall centre lines) and the usable (net) area. Check which area the price and any difference payment are calculated on.

3. Handling area differences

The law does not set a general tolerance; it is in the sale and purchase agreement you signed. In practice, some contracts say that for a difference of 1% or more, the party who benefits pays the difference at the contract unit price at handover; others say a difference of no more than 2% does not change the price. Reread the area clause before handover day.

Reference example (assumptions: the contract states 70 m² net at 50 million dong/m²; the actual measurement is 68.9 m²):

Contract clause	How a 1.1 m² difference (about 1.6%) is handled
Differences of 1% or more are paid at the unit price	The developer refunds about 55 million dong
Differences of no more than 2% are not adjusted	No price adjustment

If you do not accept the developer's measurement, write your view clearly in the record and ask for a re-measurement with both parties present, or hire an independent surveyor.

4. Money due around handover day

• The 2% maintenance fund on the apartment's value: paid before handover into a separate account the developer opens at a credit institution (Articles 152, 153). Get the payment receipt.
• The pre-handover instalment under the contract schedule. Until the certificate is issued, the seller may collect at most 95% of the contract value; the remaining 5% is paid when you receive the certificate (Law on Real Estate Business, Article 25, clause 3).
• The operation and management fee starts as agreed — ask exactly from which date.

5. Warranty after handover

The 2023 Law on Housing provides a warranty of at least 60 months for apartment buildings and at least 24 months for individual houses, counted from completion of construction and acceptance for use. It covers the structure (frame, columns, beams, floors, walls, ceilings, roof), the electrical system, water supply and drainage, septic tanks, and tilting, settling, cracking and subsidence; other equipment is covered for the manufacturer's warranty period. Defects found after handover can still be claimed — send a written request with photos.

6. After handover

The developer must apply for your certificate within 50 days of handover, unless you do it yourself. If you will not move in straight away, you can plan to rent it out early — see consigning for rent with HPR.

A project nearing handover that HPR is following: Izumi Canaria — handover dates by zone (in Vietnamese).

This article is for reference only and does not replace legal or financial advice for your specific case.

1. Before the appointment: reread the contract's area clause, the list of handover materials and equipment, and the payment schedule; bring the contract and a tape measure or laser distance meter.
2. Ask to see the building's completion acceptance and fire safety acceptance results.
3. Pay the 2% maintenance fund and the instalment due; keep the receipts.
4. Measure the net area of each room, balcony and loggia; compare with the area in the contract.
5. Check the equipment: brands and models against the contract; test the hob, water heater and air conditioners (if any).
6. Electrics: switch on every switch and light, test every socket; ask about earthing.
7. Water: run the taps, flush the toilets, check pressure, leaks and drainage in bathrooms and the kitchen, and the air-conditioner drain pipes.
8. Walls, ceilings, floors: cracks, damp, uneven paint; tap plasterboard ceilings and tiled floors for hollow sounds; check wooden floors for swelling and gaps.
9. Doors: front door, windows, sliding doors — hinges, locks, sealing, scratches, warping.
10. Common areas: lifts stop level at each floor, fire alarms, sprinklers, hose cabinets in corridors, car park, promised amenities.
11. Write every defect into the record with photos and a repair deadline; record the actual area and the contract area; do not sign "received in full, no comments" while defects remain.
12. Collect keys, resident cards and the user manual; ask about the timeline for the certificate (50 days from handover).

Sources in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• Luật Nhà ở số 27/2023/QH15 (Law on Housing No. 27/2023/QH15) of 27 November 2023 (effective 1 August 2024) — Articles 37, 152, 153, provisions on housing warranties and the certificate deadline: full text on caselaw.vn, 27 November 2023.
• Thông tư 05/2024/TT-BXD (Circular 05/2024/TT-BXD) of 31 July 2024 with the Regulation on the management and use of apartment buildings — Article 5: LuatVietnam, accessed 20 October 2026.
• Luật Kinh doanh bất động sản số 29/2023/QH15 (Law on Real Estate Business No. 29/2023/QH15) — Article 25: full text on caselaw.vn, 28 November 2023.
• Real Estate Investment newspaper (Tin nhanh chứng khoán) — Khi nhận nhà, khách hàng nên kiểm tra kỹ cả trong lẫn ngoài căn hộ (At handover, buyers should check both inside and outside the apartment), 31 October 2019.
• Tien Phong — Bị "ăn gian" diện tích, nhiều chủ căn hộ nổi giận (Apartment owners angry over short-changed areas — the 1% difference clause), 9 September 2013.
• Luat Duong Gia — Một số vấn đề liên quan đến mua bán nhà chung cư (Some issues in buying and selling apartments — the clause allowing up to a 2% difference), accessed 20 October 2026.