Kolaboro / Tools / Late handover

The keys are late. What does the contract say, and what does the law say?

Two answers side by side. First, what the delay clause in your contract pays, from the figures you type. Second, what the law where the property is gives you, quoted article by article from the official text, with the amounts worked out where the law sets a formula.

Not legal advice. This page does arithmetic and quotes laws. Whether a rule applies to your contract, whether a delay is long enough, and what a court would award are questions for an independent local lawyer. Do not send a claim or sign a new date based only on this page.

Where and how much

Where is the property? Contract price Currency

Dates

Promised handoverThe date in the contract. Actual or expected handoverThe keys, or the developer's latest date.

Payments made

Needed for the law side: Spanish legal interest runs from each payment date, and a Portuguese deposit doubles. Example payments are filled in.

Of which deposit (sinal or arras) Refund date for interestInterest runs to this day. Default: today.

The delay clause in your contract

What the contract pays for delay

Nothing Fixed amount per day Fixed amount per month % of price per month % of amount paid per year

Rate, % of price per month Grace period, months Cap, % of price

What the contract clause pays

Months are calendar months; a part month counts by its days (30.44 days a month). Every figure here comes from the numbers you typed.

The law

What the law says

Before you accept a new date

What to do, in order

Find the clause and the date.Read the exact delay clause, the grace period, force majeure wording and how notices must be sent. The promised date is the one in the contract, not in the brochure.
Ask for the reason and the new date in writing.Keep every message. A new date you agree to in writing can replace the old one and restart the grace period.
Do not sign an extension before advice.In Spain the law treats an extension as your choice instead of cancelling. Elsewhere, an addendum can waive the penalty.
Check where your money is.Escrow, a bank guarantee or insurance decides whether a refund is real. See the deposit protection finder.
Get a local lawyer to read the contract.Bring this page, the contract and your payment receipts.

Method

Contract side: months late after the grace period, times the rate you typed, capped at the cap you typed. Same arithmetic as the delay compensation calculator, which also compares missed rent.
Law side: only articles we have read in the official source are quoted, with the link and the date we checked. Amounts are shown only where the article sets a formula: Spain (refund plus legal interest, with each year's rate from the Banco de España table) and Portugal (double the deposit).
Spanish legal interest is simple interest: each payment, from the day it was paid to the refund date, at the rate of each calendar year.
Everything runs in your browser. The link you share holds only the numbers and dates you typed.

Not legal advice. Courts can read clauses differently, reduce penalties or accept force majeure. The law can also have changed after the date we checked it.

Buyer tools

More tools for off-plan buyers

Late handoverWhat the contract and the law say you are owed when the keys are late.Delay compensationThe clause against the rent you are missing.Law notesShort notes on the rules that matter, with the official text.Price below build costPrice per m² against published construction cost ranges.Currency riskWhat your payment plan would have cost with real exchange rate moves.