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Real Estate vocabulary · Contracts, Deeds & Title

Certificate of occupancy

Meaning in real estate, with examples

nounCommon term

In real estate, certificate of occupancy means: An official document from the local authority confirming that a building was built according to the rules and is safe for people to use or live in.

In Turkish: iskan, yapı kullanma izin belgesi

How it is used

American English, often shortened to CO or C of O. A new building or a major conversion needs one before people move in, and lenders and buyers ask to see it. In the UK the closest document is a building regulations completion certificate.

Example sentences

  1. The developer expects to receive the certificate of occupancy next month.

  2. The bank won't approve the loan without a certificate of occupancy.

Common collocations

  • issue a certificate of occupancy
  • obtain a certificate of occupancy
  • temporary certificate of occupancy
  • zoningLocal rules that divide land into areas and control what can be built there and what it can be used for, such as homes, shops or industry.
  • off-planBought or sold before the building is finished, or even started, based on plans, drawings and a show flat rather than the real property.
  • titleThe legal right to own a property, together with the records that show who the owner is and whether anyone else has a claim on it.
  • land registryThe government office or database that records who owns land and buildings, together with any mortgages or rights attached to them.

More terms: Contracts, Deeds & Title

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