Most new launch buyers in Malaysia treat Vacant Possession as the day they get the keys. It's also the day a clock starts. Under Schedule G (landed) and Schedule H (strata) of the Housing Development Act, the developer's defect liability period runs for 24 months from VP. Miss the inspection and you're not without rights, but you've shifted the burden of proof onto yourself.
This is how we'd run a VP inspection on a Klang Valley new launch — for a serviced apartment in Kuala Lumpur, a condo in Petaling Jaya, or a landed unit anywhere in Selangor.
In this guide
1. What to bring and who to bring
The inspection ideally takes two careful afternoons. Block both before you sign the VP acknowledgement. Things you need on hand:
- A printed defect inspection sheet (room-by-room template)
- A torch with a wide beam — phone torch is fine in a pinch
- A spirit level (RM 30 from any hardware shop) or the iPhone level app
- A three-pin socket tester (the cheap LED-pattern ones from Shopee)
- Masking tape and a permanent marker for tagging defects on the wall
- A measuring tape and a 50mm tile spacer or coin for gap-width comparisons
- Phone charged, ideally with someone on FaceTime if you can't be there yourself
Who to bring: ideally, a second pair of eyes who is not emotionally invested in the unit. A friend who's bought property before. A relative who knows construction. If you can afford it, an independent inspector — RM 1.50 to RM 3 per sqft is the going Klang Valley rate.
2. The room-by-room sequence
Always inspect with daylight, not with the unit lit by fluorescent tubes. Defects in plaster, paint, and tile lippage hide under artificial light. If the developer's handover slot is at 5pm, ask to reschedule.
AEntry, hallway, and main door
- Main door swings freely, latches cleanly, deadbolt extends fully
- Peephole sits at right height and is undamaged
- Door frame is plumb (use level on both vertical sides)
- Skirting at the threshold is clean, level, and gap-free
- Intercom unit powers up and connects
- Lighting works on every switch position, including dimmers
BLiving and dining
- Every floor tile checked for lippage (run a coin across the joints — should not catch)
- Skirting board uniform height, mitred joints clean at internal corners
- Wall paint even — angle a torch along the wall surface to find roller marks and patchy areas
- Ceiling cornice runs straight; no compound drops or rough patches
- Air conditioning provision plate covers the wall opening fully if no unit is installed yet
- Sliding doors (if balcony) run smoothly and lock at both points
- Balcony floor slope drains away from the unit (pour a cup of water and watch)
- Every socket tested with the three-pin tester
CKitchen
- Sink basin drains in under five seconds when filled
- Sink trap connection dry after 10 minutes of running water
- Cabinet doors close flush, hinges level, no rubbing
- Worktop edges and joins clean, no chips or filler marks
- Hood vent opening flapping correctly when not in use
- Backsplash tiles even, grout uniform colour
- If a gas line is provided, the cap is in place and the valve operates
- Water pressure: turn the cold tap on full for one minute, listen for hammer
DBathrooms (each one)
- Toilet flushes cleanly three times in succession; bowl refills in under 45 seconds
- No movement at the toilet base when pressed firmly with a hand on each side
- Wash basin trap dry after 10 minutes of running water
- Shower mixer responds to hot/cold without drift; pressure consistent
- Floor trap drains within two seconds; no backflow
- Tile lippage checked in shower, with extra attention to the floor-to-wall joint
- Grout uniform colour, no missing sections, sealant runs smooth where wall meets bath/shower
- Extract fan switches on, draws air (test with a tissue at the grille)
- Lighting on all switch positions; GFCI/RCD socket trips when test button is pressed
EBedrooms (each one)
- Doors close fully without catching the frame top or sides
- Sockets tested with the three-pin tester
- Air conditioning provision sleeve is uncovered, drainage line graded downward
- Wardrobe interior (if built-in) — shelves and rails secure, doors aligned
- Windows lock, latch, and don't whistle when tested with a stream of water from outside
- Walls flat under a torch angled along the surface
FMechanical and electrical (DB box, water heater, riser)
- Distribution Board labelled by circuit; all RCDs tested with the trip button
- Water heater (if provided) powers up, no error codes, drain valve operates
- Water meter reading photographed at handover (proves who paid for any later leakage discovered)
- Riser pipes accessible without obstruction; isolation valve operates smoothly
- SMATV/data sockets labelled and tested
3. How to document a defect properly
For each defect, you want four things on record:
- Location — room name, plus specific spot ("Master bathroom, floor tile next to shower drain")
- Description — what's wrong, in plain English. "Tile is 2mm higher than adjacent tile, lifts a coin when slid across"
- Photo — close-up plus one wider photo showing the location in the room
- A masking-tape tag on the actual surface, marked with a defect number that matches your sheet
The tape tag matters more than people think. When the developer's contractor comes back to remedy, they need to find each defect quickly. A tagged unit gets fixed in one visit. An untagged unit gets fixed in three.
4. Submitting the list and tracking follow-ups
Submit the full defect list to the developer's customer service desk in writing — email is fine, but get an acknowledgement reply. Statutory Schedule G/H gives the developer 30 days to remedy. In practice, expect 60–90 days for anything non-trivial.
Keep a tracker. We use a simple spreadsheet: defect number, description, date raised, date acknowledged, date remedied, date verified. The single thing that gets defects fixed faster is the buyer who shows up at the customer service desk every fortnight with a printed copy of the tracker.
5. When to hire an independent inspector
For most buyers in the Klang Valley, "running a proper defect inspection" means either spending two careful afternoons with a checklist — or paying RM 1.50 to RM 3 per square foot for an independent inspector. For a 1,000 sqft Mont Kiara serviced apartment, that's roughly RM 1,500 to RM 3,000. For a Cyberjaya landed home, more.
Independent inspection is worth it on three classes of unit: anything above RM 1.2m, anything with a developer you haven't bought from before, and anything where the building feels rushed at handover. If the show unit gloss doesn't extend into the corridor, take the receipt.
What an inspection should produce: a numbered defect list with photos, measurements where relevant (gap widths, tile lippage, level deviations), and a signed copy that goes to the developer's customer service desk with a stamped receipt.
A walkthrough you only do once, properly
The VP inspection is the single most leveraged afternoon in your home-ownership lifecycle. A defect raised on day one is the developer's problem. A defect raised on day five hundred is yours. Give it the time it deserves, and walk out with a list — and an acknowledgement — that puts the next 24 months in writing.
If you're still picking the unit, our launches directory covers active new launches across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, with the editorial notes our team makes during sales-gallery visits.