No Completion Certificate? Your Home Might Be Illegal

Before you move into your new home, making sure that your builders has completed all documentation formalities will be a good idea. If you move into your home without a valid completion certificate, you might be penalised by municipal authorities on charges of misdemeanour. If municipal authorities discover that your building is illegal and does not have a completion certificate, they can issue notices of eviction. They can also choose to slap other penalties.

What is a completion certificate?

Completion certificates are issued by local municipal bodies that approve building plans. This certificate is given after a thorough inspection by the authorities to ensure that the building has stuck to the approved plans.
A completion certificate is also a proof that your builder has met all safety standards and regulations.

A completion certificate has the following details:
• Location of the and identification of the land
• Distance from other buildings
• Approved height of the building
• Details of the building plan

In most cases, a municipality gives a go-ahead for water, electricity and other basic amenities to a builder only after the certificate is issued. However, there are many cases across cities in India where people have been residing in homes without a valid certificate.

While passing its verdict on such a case, the Bombay High Court in a 2013 judgment said it was against the law to move in to apartments without a completion or an occupation certificate.

(Katya Naidu has been working as a business journalist for the last nine years, and has covered beats across banking, pharma, healthcare, telecom, technology, power, infrastructure, shipping and commodities.)