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New housing delivery in Algeria: checklist before key handover

New housing delivery in Algeria: checklist before key handover, taking-possession report, reservations, conformity, balance and title.

The day of key handover is often lived as an ending. In reality, it is a decisive legal and technical phase. In Algeria, for a home from a development or a vente sur plans (off-plan sale), delivery must be recorded with rigour: conformity with commitments, written reservations, price balance, and start of the title journey.

This checklist helps you prepare acceptance without improvisation.

Disclaimer. This page is an editorial and educational analysis. It does not constitute legal, tax, financial or notarial advice. Have delivery accompanied by your notary and, if needed, a technical professional.

What “delivery” really means

To deliver is not only to hand over a keyring. It is to record that the home is completed according to the contract, that you take possession, and that the follow-ups (balance, reservations, any warranties, title) are engaged.

Within the vente sur plans framework (Law No. 11-04), the authentic contract is completed by a contradictory procès-verbal (report), at the notarial office, recording taking possession and delivery of the completed building in accordance with commitments. Decree 13-431 notably links the balance (around 5% in the regulatory scheme) to this moment of taking possession.

In other words: do not treat delivery as a marketing formality.

Useful reminders: Buying off-plan in Algeria, Purchase documents.

Before D-day: prepare the file

1. Re-read the contract and the description

  • area and typology;
  • finishes (flooring, joinery, sanitary ware, kitchen if provided);
  • annexes (parking, cellar, terrace);
  • contractual deadline and penalties;
  • acceptance and reservation modalities.

2. Gather project documents

  • permit / conformity documents according to the stage;
  • EDD / lot identification;
  • any riders;
  • payment history and progress proofs.

3. Plan a pre-acceptance visit

If possible, visit before signing the report. Note defects in daylight, test water, electricity, closures, ventilation, apparent waterproofing, finishing of common parts.

4. Clarify the notary’s role

The taking-possession report is prepared with the office. Arrive with your list of reservations, not with emotion alone.

Checklist on key-handover day

A. Property identification

  • Building, floor, lot number compliant with contract / EDD
  • Annexes (parking, cellar) identified and accessible
  • Areas and layout coherent with plans

B. Completion and apparent habitability

  • Works finished in the home (no critical open site)
  • Common parts usable (access, lighting, lift if provided)
  • Announced connections (water, electricity, etc.) operational or clearly planned

C. Quality and visible defects

  • Cracks, water ingress, humidity
  • Joinery, seals, balcony / accessible roof waterproofing
  • Flooring, plumbing, electricity, sockets, boards
  • Ventilation, drainage, abnormal equipment noise
  • “Rushed” finishes non-compliant with the description

D. Measurements and gaps

  • Area or layout gaps noted in writing
  • Missing equipment listed

E. Documents handed over

  • Keys / badges / remotes
  • Equipment notices if provided
  • Plans / useful dossier
  • Attestations available at this stage

F. Deed and payment

  • Taking-possession report prepared / signed in due form
  • Written reservations annexed
  • Balance paid only according to contract and after recording
  • Receipts and traceability

Do not settle “to accommodate” if major incompleteness reservations remain: speak to the notary first.

Drafting useful reservations

A vague reservation (“to review”) protects poorly. A useful reservation indicates:

  • the precise place (room, façade, equipment);
  • the observed defect;
  • if possible a dated photo attached;
  • the request (remedy, replacement, justification).

Prioritise waterproofing, safety, incompleteness and non-conformity with the description. Cosmetic details also count, but rank them.

Delivery delay: what to look at?

If the contractual date is exceeded:

  • calculate the delay against the contract;
  • look at the penalty mechanism provided (Decree 13-431 frames a late-delivery penalty scheme);
  • document your exchanges;
  • avoid unformalised oral arrangements.

Delay does not erase the quality requirement when delivery finally arrives.

After the keys: the work continues

Follow-up of remedies

Require a calendar for lifting reservations. Follow up in writing. Keep proofs.

Title and livret

Depending on the programme, the individual livret foncier may follow title division. Clarify with the notary: where the file stands, which deeds remain, which realistic deadlines. See Purchase documents.

Co-ownership and charges

As soon as you move in, collective life begins: charges, maintenance, syndic or equivalent organisation depending on the project. Ask for transparency on the announced functioning.

Warranties

Inform yourself on applicable legal warranties (including construction / developer-related warranty logic under the framework, including garantie décennale where applicable). Report serious disorders quickly. Passivity often weakens the buyer’s practical position.

Special cases

Diaspora

If you cannot be present, agent + notary + dated photo/video report + refusal of blind signature. See Diaspora.

Purchase in Algiers

Density, parking, neighbouring-site nuisances: also check the immediate environment on delivery day. See Buying off-plan in Algiers, Property prices in Algiers.

Development: revalidate the actor

Even at the end of the journey, keep agrément documents and seller coherence. The Justice 2025 alert recalls that certain marketing outside agrément is illegal. See Checking a developer.

Frequent mistakes on D-day

  1. Signing a report “without reservation” under pressure.
  2. Paying the balance before a real record.
  3. Relying on oral promises of remedy.
  4. Ignoring common parts.
  5. Forgetting parking / cellar.
  6. Leaving without copies of signed documents.

Complement: Mistakes when buying, Risks, New housing.

S.A.F.E and delivery

A project analysed through S.A.F.E is not “guaranteed defect-free”. S.A.F.E is an international proprietary real estate analysis and pre-screening methodology; acceptance remains a personal, notarial and technical act, and S.A.F.E replaces neither the report nor the reservations.

Learn more: S.A.F.E method.

Express checklist to print

  1. Re-read contract + description the day before.
  2. Prepare torch, tape measure, notebook, charged phone.
  3. Visit by day, then review lighting points.
  4. List reservations room by room with photos.
  5. Check lot + annexes (parking, cellar).
  6. Do not settle before a clear notarial framework.
  7. Sign the report with reservation annexes.
  8. Collect dated copies of everything.
  9. Open a written follow-up of remedies.
  10. Clarify the title / livret calendar.

This list does not replace the notary; it prevents forgetting under emotion.

Key takeaways

New housing delivery in Algeria is prepared like an exam: contract, visit, written reservations, report, controlled balance, then title follow-up and remedies. Keys open the door; they do not close the file.

For the upstream framework: Buying off-plan, Legal framework.

Acceptance visit: room-by-room method

Entrance and circulations

Lighting, flooring, doors, sockets, any fire detection depending on the project, announced accessibility or not.

Living room / kitchen

Floor levelness, seals, drainage, water points, ventilation, any cooker hood, wall condition.

Bedrooms

Perceived insulation, sockets, shutters/joinery, façade noise.

Wet rooms

Apparent waterproofing, drainage slopes, ventilation, sanitary fixtures, seals.

Private exteriors

Guardrails, balcony/terrace waterproofing, rainwater drainage, flooring.

Common parts on D-day

Hall, letterboxes, bin room, bike/pushchair room if provided, parking, circulation lighting, lift (certificates / commissioning).

Photograph each reservation. A dated shot is worth more than a memory.

Distinguishing minor / major reservations

Minor: localised cosmetic defects, simple remedies without preventing habitation.

Major: incompleteness, water ingress, dangerous installations, heavy non-conformity with the description, missing annexes, impossibility of normal use.

This distinction guides your discussion with the notary on taking possession and the balance. It is not a fixed legal dogma: it helps prioritise.

Stay factual. Avoid emotional escalation on site. Note, photograph, annex. If disagreement arises on the existence of a defect, ask that it be mentioned even in discussion. Silence creates grey zones.

First week after moving in

  • retest hot water, pressure, breakers;
  • observe humidity traces after the first rain if the season allows;
  • note equipment noises and defects appearing in use;
  • send a reservation complement if the contract / practice allows, with notarial advice.

Delivery is not a magic instant where everything freezes: it is the start of an evidence period.

Relationship with the developer after keys

Require a named contact for remedies. Centralise requests. Avoid multiple informal channels that dilute responsibility. If remedy deadlines slip, formalise. Organised buyers generally obtain better results than dispersed buyers.

A poorly accepted new home is harder to resell: visible defects, unforeseen charges, incomplete title file. Investing two days in a serious checklist protects patrimonial value as much as immediate comfort. See Property prices in Algiers for market-reading logic (without invented figures). More in our guides and real estate hubs.

FAQ

Must I sign the report if defects remain?

You can often sign while annexing precise reservations. For major incompleteness, consult the notary immediately before accepting a “clean” taking of possession.

When to pay the price balance?

In the vente sur plans scheme, the balance is linked to taking possession. Do not detach it from a real record and notarial forms.

What to do in case of delivery delay?

Document, re-read clauses and penalties, go through the notary, avoid purely oral arrangements.

Is the livret foncier handed over with the keys?

Not always immediately. Clarify the division / issuance calendar with the notary.

Can I be represented on delivery day?

Yes, with a clear mandate and a recording method (photos, reservation list). Representation does not authorise imprudence.

Does S.A.F.E assure quality at delivery?

No. It helps upstream. Quality is recorded at acceptance.

Sources