What is Completion Certificate and why it is necessary?
A completion certification (CC) is a critical and mandatory legal document that a builder should obtain from the municipal authorities after the completion of a building. The CC attests to the fact that the new building is constructed and completed in accordance with all the safety norms and regulations laid down by the Buildings Act 1984. In Karnataka, the CC proves that the said building is approved by the local authorities such as Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) or Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), as per the stipulations in the Karnataka Town and Planning Act (1961) and rules of other local authorities.
Why is a CC required?
The completion certificate contains all the required details including the identification of the land, the location, the organization/builder, if the building has adhered to the building plan, and met all the standards of safety and regulation, distance from the road, distance from surrounding buildings, height and other criteria set by the municipal authorities. In essence, the CC certifies that the building has not violated any rules and norms in that locality. According to The Apartment Ownership Acts in various states across the country, CC is a compulsory document for an owner or builder in order to avail water and electricity supply.
When an owner purchases an apartment from the builder, he should obtain a copy of the CC from the builder when he is taking possession of the said unit.
How is a completion certificate awarded?
After the completion of a project, the local authority inspects and evaluates the premise against the approved building plan and awards the completion certificate, if all the rules are satisfied. The builder can then apply to the BWSSB and BESCOM departments, along with a copy of the CC to get water, electricity connection and other basic amenities for the project.
Provisional and final completion certificates
A provisional completion certificate is a temporary certificate usually awarded to a builder if they want to hand over an apartment to the residents, but the project still has some pending work to be completed. However, the provisional certificate expires after six months and should be followed by the builder applying for the final completion certificate.
A final completion certificate is awarded after the construction is complete. Some of the rules and standards the builder should adhere to include FAR/FSI limit, number of floors, structural design, quality of construction, distance from road, distance from surrounding buildings, height of the building, approved building plan and other criteria.
In certain cases where the developer has not received a CC, buyers can either approach the local municipal authorities to get the completion certificate or can form a resident’s welfare association (RWA) to speed up the process. Ideally, a buyer should not take possession of a house or building without a completion certificate, as it may lead to future legal complications such as eviction from the building or demolition of the building. Hence, it is important to press for the builder to acquire a completion certificate, before releasing the final payment to the same.
