What is required after your building plans were approved?
Once your local municipality has approved the building plans and you have completed the renovation, alteration, addition, or extension to your home in accordance with such building plans in the required timeframe, it is imperative that you, or your project manager, make contact in writing with the municipality, to request the issue of a Certificate of Occupancy. The Certificate of Occupancy is signed off by the municipal Building Inspector once he/she has visited your property and confirmed that:
you have built in accordance with the approved building plans;
any conditions of approval imposed by the municipality have been complied with; and
the required compliance certificates have been issued.
If you deviated from the approved building plan, the Building Inspector may request a deviation plan to be drafted, submitted, and approved before the Certificate of Occupancy will be issued.
Obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy is crucial because a building may only be formally occupied after such Certificate has been issued. Once issued, remember to keep your Certificate of Occupancy in a safe place in case it is needed again when selling or mortgaging your property.
For further guidance in this regard, please contact our professionals on 041 363 6044 or info@kaplans.co.za for sound legal advice.
