SELLING A HOME IN TODAY'S MARKET

Basically, a certificate of occupancy is a document issued by a local government agency or building department certifying a building's compliance with applicable building codes and other laws, and indicating it to be in a condition suitable for occupancy. I refer to a discussion in the website of a New York engineering firm Heimer® Engineering PC:

"When all the requirements of the building code and all other local municipal requirements have been met, a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. The Certificate of Occupancy generally means that the building complies with all codes and regulations applicable at the time of construction.

Prior to issuing the Certificate of Occupancy, a building inspector has probably checked the construction project several times during the project. Even so, the Certificate of Occupancy is not a guarantee from the building department that the building is perfect. The inspection is limited to areas that could be examined during the building inspector's inspection. The Certificate of Occupancy gives you some assurance that the building complied with applicable codes and regulations at the time of construction.

Many banks and lending institutions require an up-to-date Certificate of Occupancy before they will issue a mortgage. In some cases a Certificate of Occupancy cannot be issued because no building permit was issued prior to construction, and the building inspector was not called in during construction. In these cases, the building department may issue a Certificate of Alteration, Certificate of Compliance, or Certificate of Completion. A similar document may be issued for outside items like decks and pools, or inside items like a wood burning stove. Consult your local building department for more information if you are looking at a building that has been altered."