Three must-have Legal Documents while buying a property.

In order to avoid any risk while buying a property, an individual must know about the legal documents which are as mentioned:

1) Commencement Certificate (CC)

2) Completion Certificate (CC) and

3) Occupancy Certificate (OC).

You must have come across these terms but let’s see about all this documents role and importance.

i) Commencement Certificate (CC): This certification is the permit given to the builder to begin construction by the local municipal authority. After it has been checked that the developer obtained all clearances and approvals the certifying authority gives this certificate.

“It is not possible to book an apartment without having a commencement certificate, and it is mandatory as per RERA norms. This guarantees a developer has all government approvals to begin the construction of his project.”

ii) Completion Certificate (CC): This document covers the completion of the entire project. Section 2(q) of the RERA describes the CC as — the completion certificate attests to the development of the project is constructed according to the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications, as the competent authority has approved under the local laws.

RERA mandates that the developer obtain CC/OCs from the competent authority in accordance with the law or other regulations of the area and make them available to allottees individually or to the Association of Allottees (AOA).

iii) Occupancy Certificate (OC): This is one of the most important documents that is issued by the competent authority allowing the owner of any building to possess it in compliance with local laws and which provides for civic infrastructure.

“When the drainage, electricity, sewerage and water systems are completed, the developers apply for the OC that is given in states such as UP after seven days. If the requirements are all met and charges are deposited, OC will be provided within eight working days in Gurugram, which would take two months earlier. There is an online system in other places that have reduced the number of days it takes to obtain an OC.

Importance of having an Occupancy Certificate (OC):

The importance of these documents can be explained with the help of an old case happened in Mumbai. The Supreme Court held that the residents of Worli’s Campa Cola Housing Society had to vacate their apartments because they did not have occupancy certificates. The building was declared illegal, though people had been living for years in those apartments.