About Certificate Of Occupancy
When you are buying a property or making some major changes in the property you might come across a term called the certificate of occupancy.
But what is a certificate of occupancy? In this post, we will learn what is a certificate of occupancy in detail.
What is a Certificate of Occupancy?
The certificate of occupancy states a property’s legal use and or type of occupancy that is permitted in it.
All the buildings need to have a certificate of occupancy unless they were built or constructed before when a certificate of occupancy was required.
Anytime you are purchasing property whether it be a single-family home, multi-family home, condominium, townhouse, or mixed-use building, every kind of property has a certificate of occupancy.
So it is important to find out what that type of property has and if it is in alignment with what they are marketing as.
How does a Certificate of Occupancy Operate?
A certificate of occupancy is issued by the local building or zoning department assuring that the property is safe for occupancy.
The department will issue the final certificate when the construction of the property is completed, it matches the submitted plan that the developer submitted originally before the construction started or it matched the major alteration to existing property that was sent to modify or amended to fit the needs that its new owners are going to have.
It issues a letter of completion for minor alterations for properties. These documents confirm that the work complies with all the applicable laws; the paperwork has been filed with the building or zoning department.
The letter also provides information on whether all the fees which belong to the department are been paid, any relevant violations have been cleared, resolved and all necessary approvals and permits have all been in line and done satisfactorily.
How to get a Certificate of Occupancy?
To get a certificate of occupancy for your home, you might have to fill out an application form which is provided by your local building or zoning department, and submit it to them by paying a specific amount.
If the property is being newly constructed, it is required to have the certificate of occupancy before the start of the construction.
Once you apply for the certificate of occupancy to the local building or zoning department, they would all the way go through a series of inspections before the final certificate of occupancy is been issued for the property.
If any inspections are not been met, the certificate of occupancy cannot be issued by the local municipal corporation or zoning department.
The department will grant you a certain amount of time and conduct these inspections again.
Once all the inspections are completed successfully and match the occupancy codes, the department will then issue a certificate of occupancy.
In some cities, your zoning department might issue a temporary certificate of occupancy as there might be a few more checks that could be pending to be completed before you get the final certificate of occupancy.
The temporary certificate of occupancy is valid for up to 90 days from the time it is been issued.
When is a Certificate of Occupancy required?
A certificate of Occupancy might be required in multiple cases.
- Newly Constructed Homes: If the property is newly constructed an occupancy certificate is required before the developer sells the property.
- Change of Property Type: There could be an instance that your property is in a commercial location and needs to be changed from residential to commercial property. This will require a certificate of occupancy so that it is updated on the records of the department with the necessary changes.
- Major Remodeling: If you have added a new room to your existing home, added a bathroom to your current property, or have done any major structural changes in the property, you have to get a new certificate of occupancy.
- Purchasing a New Home: When the homeowner is selling the property it might not be mandatory for him to have the updated certificate of occupancy. However, if you are buying a home your mortgage lender would need an updated certificate of occupancy to process the loan.
Conclusion
Getting a certificate of occupancy may require some time. You may need to have patience as this is one of the most important documents.
It determines the safety of the occupants and ensures all the city safety codes are matched.
You can get in touch with your local zoning, building, or Municipal Corporation to get complete information so that you can apply for your certificate of occupancy.
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