When taking delivery of a new home, inspect the property on-site and document defects in the handover record: water leaks and utility conduit defects must be repaired by the developer within statutory warranty periods

Developers must provide a "Residential Quality Guarantee" upon handover. Statutory minimum contractor warranties require 5 years for waterproof roofs, bathrooms, and exterior walls, and 2 years for electrical wiring, plumbing, and interior finishings, running from construction acceptance. The developer's warranty to buyers cannot be shorter than the contractor's remaining warranty. If the developer delays or refuses repairs during warranty periods, you can hire third-party contractors and bill all repair costs to the developer.

Zero financial cost. Spend 2 to 3 hours on handover day inspecting walls, floors, doors, windows, plumbing, and electrical outlets room by room, capturing photographs of every defect. Hiring a professional third-party inspector incurs an optional inspection fee.

Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development regulations mandate that developers must provide buyers with a "Residential Quality Guarantee" and "Residential User Manual" upon delivering commercial housing. Developers bear statutory warranty repair liability commencing on the date of property delivery; the developer's warranty period to buyers cannot be shorter than the remaining balance of the construction contractor's warranty to the developer. For defects within warranty scope, developers must carry out repairs and compensate for consequential losses (excluding force majeure or homeowner misuse). Statutory minimum contractor warranties established by State Council regulations (calculated from final construction inspection acceptance) are: (1) 5 years for roof waterproofing, bathrooms with waterproofing requirements, rooms, and exterior wall leak prevention; (2) 2 heating/cooling seasons for heating and air-conditioning systems; (3) 2 years for electrical conduit wiring, water supply and drainage piping, equipment installation, and interior renovation finishes; and (4) the statutory design lifespan for foundations and core load-bearing structural elements. Supreme People's Court judicial interpretations establish: "If the seller refuses to repair or delays repairs within a reasonable timeframe, the buyer may execute repairs personally or commission third parties. The repair expenses and consequential damages incurred during the repair period shall be borne by the seller." If housing quality defects severely impair normal residential use, or if independent structural inspection confirms foundation or structural defects, buyers hold the statutory right to rescind the purchase contract and demand damages. Documenting defects on delivery day prevents developers from claiming that leaks were caused by your subsequent renovations.

Specific warranty scopes and durations must be stipulated in purchase contracts; if contracts provide longer protections than statutory floors, the longer terms govern. If defects emerge, notify the developer via written registered notice and retain copies. If the developer fails to perform, file a civil claim; first-instance regular procedure takes at least 6 months with personal legal fees. Property area discrepancies are addressed in Chapter 15, Rule 12. Delays in delivery or title registration are covered in Chapter 15, Rule 13. Benefit is categorized as Moderate.

建设部 (2001). 商品房销售管理办法（建设部令第 88 号，第三十二、三十三条）. http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2002/content_70143.htm；国务院 (2019 修订). 建设工程质量管理条例（第四十条）. https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff8080816f3cbb3c016f410b40e11333；建设部 (2000). 房屋建筑工程质量保修办法（建设部令第 80 号，第七、八、十七条）. http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2001/content_60677.htm；最高人民法院 (2020 修正). 关于审理商品房买卖合同纠纷案件适用法律若干问题的解释（第九、十条）. https://www.court.gov.cn/fabu/xiangqing/282621.html