Before taking possession of a mall retail unit in Dubai, verify three things: that the unit physically matches the landlord’s drawings, that every capped service you are paying to connect to actually exists where the drawings say it does, and that the condition of the unit is recorded and signed off on the day of handover. Problems found after possession become the tenant’s problems; problems found before it are the landlord’s.
Why the possession walk decides your programme
The fit-out programme most retailers sign up to assumes the unit is delivered as described in the lease documentation. In practice, discrepancies are common: a demise line a few hundred millimetres off the lease plan, a power supply smaller than the schedule states, a drainage point on the wrong side of the unit, or a slab level that does not meet the mall’s finished floor level at the lease line. Each of these is a design change, a procurement change or a builder’s work claim — and each is far cheaper to resolve while the landlord still holds the unit. A disciplined possession survey is the single best protection against mid-project variations, and it is why experienced contractors insist on attending the handover rather than leaving it to the leasing team.
Documents to have in hand before the walk
Do not attend a handover empty-handed. You should already hold the landlord’s lease outline drawing (often called the LOD) showing the demise and lease line, the schedule of landlord-provided services with stated capacities and connection points, the mall’s tenant fit-out guide or design criteria, and the base-build drawings for the unit if the mall will release them. Most Dubai malls also require certain items from the tenant’s side before possession is granted — typically appointment of a fit-out contractor, contractor insurances, a fit-out deposit and approved concept or detailed drawings. Requirements differ between mall operators, so confirm the current list with the specific mall’s fit-out or tenant coordination team rather than assuming one mall’s process applies to another. The wider approvals sequence with Dubai Municipality, Dubai Civil Defence and the relevant free-zone authority runs alongside this; see our authority approvals page for how that track works.
What to check physically on the day
Measure the unit and compare it against the LOD: clear internal dimensions, the position of the demise line and lease line, slab-to-slab height, and the position of any columns, risers or bulkheads that will constrain the layout. Check the slab itself — level, condition, and whether the landlord’s screed or the mall finished floor level at the shopfront matches what your flooring build-up assumes.
Then walk the services. For each landlord provision on the schedule, confirm it is present, capped, labelled and in the stated location: the incoming power supply and its stated capacity, chilled water or fresh-air connections for air conditioning, drainage points (critical for F&B units, where a missing floor drain or grease line connection can stall the whole design), the fire sprinkler main and fire alarm interface point, and telecom containment. If a stated service is missing, undersized or in a different position, record it in writing at the handover and ask the landlord to confirm how and when it will be corrected. MEP coordination for the fit-out starts from these capped points, so errors here flow through every drawing that follows.
Record the condition before you sign
Photograph the unit systematically — every wall, the slab, the ceiling void, each capped service and the shopfront zone — and date the record. Agree a short defects list with the landlord’s representative on the spot and attach it to the possession certificate before signing. Once hoarding goes up and demolition or setting-out begins, it becomes very difficult to prove that a cracked slab or damaged riser pre-dated your works, and making good someone else’s damage is an argument no contractor wins easily after the fact.
Logistics to confirm at the same visit
Use the same visit to settle the practical constraints that shape the programme: the mall’s hoarding specification and graphic requirements, approved delivery routes and service corridor access, goods lift sizes and booking procedures, permitted working hours and the rules for noisy works or night work, and waste removal arrangements. In an operating mall these rules are enforced strictly, and a programme built without them is a programme that will slip. Our mall fit-out page covers how we plan works inside live malls in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Who should attend the unit handover?
Ideally the tenant’s representative, the fit-out contractor’s project manager and an MEP engineer. The contractor is best placed to spot dimensional and services discrepancies on the spot, which is when they are easiest to raise.
What is a lease outline drawing (LOD)?
It is the landlord’s drawing defining the demised unit — its boundaries, lease line, area and usually the location of landlord-provided services. It is the baseline document the possession survey is checked against.
Can fit-out design start before possession?
Yes, and it usually should: concept and detailed design are normally developed from the LOD and tenant design criteria before handover. The possession survey then verifies the assumptions before shop drawings and procurement are committed.
What happens if the unit does not match the drawings?
Raise the discrepancy in writing at or immediately after handover and agree responsibility before proceeding. Depending on the lease, the landlord may correct the works, grant additional fit-out time or agree a contribution; silence at handover usually transfers the cost to the tenant.
Sinas Interior Decoration LLC has delivered 2,500+ projects, including 1,500+ retail fit-outs, across the UAE and GCC since 1986, and attends unit handovers as standard practice on our retail projects. If you are preparing to take possession of a mall unit, our retail fit-out team can survey the unit with you — get in touch.
Written by the Sinas Interior Technical Team. Reviewed by Arun Kumar, Projects Director, Sinas Interior Decoration LLC. Last updated: 12 November 2026.
