Certificates of Occupancy
What is a Certificate of Occupancy?
It is a certificate that must be requested by the owner and issued by the construction official which indicates that a new building is ready for occupancy. In renovated buildings, a certificate of occupancy may be required by the construction official depending upon the scope of the work that was undertaken.
The certificate of occupancy generally indicates that you have completed the work in accordance with the applicable codes and have satisfied the requirements for issuance of a permit. A certificate of occupancy may be revoked if the property owner does not continue to meet the conditions of the permit.
If you occupy a building prior to obtaining a certificate of occupancy, you will most likely receive a substantial fine.
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued before all of the requirements of the construction permit or prior approvals have been satisfied. These will be issued for a specific period of time and will likely contain conditions for completion of the work.