OC vs CC vs Completion Certificate (2026)

Quick Answer

A completion certificate says a building was built as per the sanctioned plan. An occupancy certificate (OC) permits people to occupy it, with water, sanitation and electricity provided for. Both come from the local or development authority, not RERA. In Maharashtra, "CC" usually means commencement certificate, the permission to start building.

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At a Glance

	Commencement certificate	Completion certificate	Occupancy certificate (OC)
Stage	Before or during construction	When construction ends	When the building is fit to occupy
What it proves	Work may start (often up to a stage, such as plinth)	Built as per sanctioned plan, layout and specifications	People may occupy; civic infrastructure provided for
Defined in RERA Act?	No	Yes, Section 2(q)	Yes, Section 2(zf)
Issued by	Planning or local authority	Competent authority (local or development authority)	Competent authority (local or development authority)
Called "CC"?	Yes, in Maharashtra	Yes, in many other places	No; "OC", BU permission, occupation certificate
Enough for "ready to move"?	No	Not on its own where an OC is also required	Yes, for the towers and floors it covers

What Does the RERA Act Say a Completion Certificate Is?

Section 2(q) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 defines a completion certificate as the certificate, "by whatever name called", issued by the competent authority certifying that the project was developed according to the sanctioned plan, layout plan and specifications. Confirmed

The "competent authority" (Section 2(p)) is the local or development authority that can permit development of the land: a municipal body, GMADA, DTCP, AUDA, MHADA and so on. RERA itself issues neither certificate.

And What Is an Occupancy Certificate?

Section 2(zf) defines an occupancy certificate as the certificate, "by whatever name called", issued by the competent authority permitting occupation of any building, as provided under local laws, "which has provision for civic infrastructure such as water, sanitation and electricity". Confirmed

"By whatever name called" matters: Gujarat's BU permission, Haryana's occupation certificate and Delhi's occupancy-cum-completion certificate all count.

Where the Act puts these certificates to work

Section 11(4)(b): the promoter must get them

The promoter must obtain the completion or occupancy certificate, or both, as local law requires, and give it to allottees or their association. Confirmed

Section 19(10): the buyer's two-month clock

Every allottee must take physical possession within two months of the occupancy certificate issued for the apartment, plot or building. Confirmed

Section 17: conveyance and handover

Absent a local law, conveyance within three months of the OC, and handover of documents, plans and common areas within 30 days after it. Confirmed

Why Does "CC" Mean Two Different Things?

Across most of India, CC means the completion certificate. In Maharashtra, CC almost always means the commencement certificate: the planning authority's permission to start building. State-specific

A MHADA Building Permission Cell certificate from Mumbai, for example, is granted under Sections 44 and 45 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 "for work upto top of Plinth Level", with a "further commencement certificate" later. It also bars occupation until occupancy permission is granted. Confirmed

So a seller who says "CC is received" may be truthful and still describe a building nobody may yet live in.

Where Does Each Certificate Fall in a Project's Life?

Plan sanction and commencement. In Maharashtra a commencement certificate follows the sanction, sometimes in stages.
RERA registration and sales under a registered agreement for sale (Section 13 caps the advance before it at 10% of the cost).
Completion certificate when the work matches the sanctioned plan.
Occupancy certificate, full or part, often after fire and lift clearances; some authorities combine it with completion.
Possession within two months of the OC, then conveyance and handover to the association.

What Are These Certificates Called in Each State?

Names come from local building laws, so they change at the border. We list only states we checked against an official document.

State / area	Local name	Issued by (examples)	Part certificate?
Maharashtra	CC = commencement certificate (MR&TP Act ss. 44–45); OC = occupancy permission or certificate	Planning authority: municipal corporation, MHADA and others	Commonly issued for wings or floors; read the scope Reported
Gujarat	BU (Building Use) permission = occupancy certificate	Urban local body or development authority (e.g. AMC, AUDA); eNagar portal for many ULB services	Verify with the issuing body
Haryana	Occupation certificate, Form BR-VII (Haryana Building Code, Code 4.10)	Director, Town and Country Planning (DTCP) for licensed colonies; other bodies for their areas	Certificates often list the towers and floors covered
Delhi	Occupancy-cum-Completion Certificate (OCC), Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016	Sanctioning authority (e.g. MCD, DDA, NDMC)	Yes: part OCC for at least one block complete in all respects (cl. 2.7.3)
Punjab (GMADA areas)	Notice of completion (Form B) and permission to occupy under Rule 11, PUDA (Building) Rules, 1996	Estate Officer, GMADA or the relevant development authority	Form B covers "the building / a part of the building"
Other states	Usually "occupancy" or "occupation" certificate; sometimes combined with completion	Municipal body or development authority	Verify on the local authority portal

All rows are state-specific and sourced below. Verify any certificate on the issuing authority's portal.

What Is a Part OC, and When Is It Enough?

Large projects are often certified block by block. Delhi's bye-laws allow a part OCC for at least one block complete in all respects, and it does not extend the building permit. Confirmed

A part OC is enough only for the flat it covers. Read the towers and floors on the certificate itself; a flat in an uncovered tower is still, legally, under construction.

How Do You Verify an OC or Completion Certificate?

1. Ask which certificate they mean

"CC is there": commencement or completion? Then ask separately for the OC (BU permission in Gujarat).

2. Get a copy, not a screenshot

All pages and conditions. Note the issuer, date and reference number.

3. Match it to the unit

Read which towers, blocks and floors it covers. A part OC for Tower A does nothing for a flat in Tower C.

4. Check it with the issuer

Verify the reference number on the issuer's online portal where one exists (eNagar for many Gujarat local bodies) or at its office.

5. Check the RERA project page

Search the project's registration number on the state RERA portal; look for the certificate in its documents, and at the status and completion date.

6. Compare the building with the plan

Extra floors, enclosed balconies or a change of use are common reasons an OC is refused.

7. Write down what you saw

Record what you checked, when, and what was missing. Only then say "ready to move".

See how to check a builder's RERA registration. Portals differ in what they display; a missing upload is a question for the promoter, not proof either way.

What Happens If a Building Has No OC?

Higher taxes and charges

In the Samruddhi case the Supreme Court noted that the missing OC led to higher taxes and higher water charges for the society's members. Confirmed

Utilities

The Act ties the OC to water, sanitation and electricity; permanent connections commonly depend on it. Reported Check with the utility.

Loans and resale

Lenders commonly ask for the OC on a completed flat, and the next buyer's lender will too. Reported Confirm with the bank.

Regularisation risk

If deviations from the plan block the OC, fixing them may need penalties or alterations under local law; some cannot be regularised.

Is it a deficiency in service? Yes: in Samruddhi Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. v. Mumbai Mahalaxmi Construction Pvt. Ltd. (Civil Appeal 4000 of 2019, 11 January 2022) the Supreme Court held the failure to obtain the occupation certificate a deficiency in service and a continuing wrong. Confirmed (judgment text) For choosing a forum, see RERA vs consumer court.

GST is tied to the completion certificate too. Under Schedule II, paragraph 5(b) of the CGST Act, building for sale is a supply of services except where the entire consideration is received after the completion certificate or first occupation, whichever is earlier. Confirmed

Can You Buy a Flat Without an OC?

Yes, if you knowingly buy under construction. Then RERA protects you: a registered project, a registered agreement for sale, a declared completion date, and the promoter's duty to get the OC. Late possession remedies are explained in RERA possession delay compensation.

The risky case is a flat presented as ready with no OC for its tower. Our reading: since the Section 19(10) possession duty runs from the OC, a possession offer before one exists is weak ground for the builder.

What Does a Trained Agent Know That an Untrained One Doesn't?

Untrained agent says	Trained agent knows
"CC is received, so it's ready."	In Maharashtra CC is usually the commencement certificate. Ask which CC, then ask for the OC.
"RERA has given the OC."	RERA never issues an OC. The local or development authority does (Section 2(zf)).
"The project has OC."	Many OCs are partial. Which tower and floors does it name?
"OC is applied, just a formality."	An application is not a certificate; deviations and pending clearances hold OCs up.
"No OC means no problem, people are living there."	Occupation before OC can bring higher taxes and charges, and the Supreme Court has treated the missing OC as a deficiency in service.

OC, CC, BU, OCC, part OC… keep every term handy

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Worked Example: A "Ready to Move" Listing in Pune

Neha is asked to market a 2 BHK in Tower C of a Pune project as "ready to move, OC/CC done". She checks first.

What she was told	What she found	Meaning
"CC done"	A commencement certificate up to plinth, plus a further CC for upper floors	Permission to build. Says nothing about completion.
"OC done"	A part occupancy certificate naming Towers A and B only	Tower C cannot be legally occupied yet.
"RERA approved"	Project registered; Tower C's completion date still ahead on the portal	It is, on paper, an under-construction unit.
"Families already living"	Some Tower C flats occupied	Occupation without OC: a risk for those owners, not a reassurance.

Neha lists it as "near completion, Tower C OC awaited", quotes the project RERA number and her own (Section 9(5)), and tells the buyer in writing to compare the price with under-construction stock and to check the completion date in the agreement. She loses a headline and avoids a Section 31 complaint.

Checklist: Before You Say "Ready to Move"

Documents

☐ Full copy of the OC (or BU, OCC, occupation certificate)
☐ Completion certificate, if issued separately
☐ Sanctioned plan the certificate refers to
☐ Commencement certificate (Maharashtra) for the record
☐ Project RERA registration number and certificate
☐ Fire NOC or other clearances the OC lists

Checks

☐ Tower, wing and floor of this unit named on the OC
☐ Reference number checked with the issuer
☐ RERA project page status and documents seen
☐ No visible extra floors or change of use
☐ Possession letter dated after the OC
☐ What you checked, and when, noted in writing

How This Protects You and Your Buyer

For you, the agent

Section 10(c) bars unfair trade practices, including false claims about approvals. A wrong "OC done" can bring a Section 31 complaint and a Section 62 penalty of up to ₹10,000 per day, capped at 5% of the cost of the plot, apartment or building. A written note of your checks is your defence.

For the buyer

The buyer pays a price that matches the real stage of construction, borrows on the right basis, and keeps RERA remedies if the OC is late, because they knew it was pending.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between OC and CC in property?

A completion certificate (RERA Act Section 2(q)) certifies the project was built as per the sanctioned plan. An occupancy certificate (Section 2(zf)) permits occupation, with water, sanitation and electricity provided for. The local or development authority issues both, not RERA.

What does CC mean in Maharashtra?

Usually the commencement certificate: permission to start construction under Sections 44 and 45 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, often in stages. It says nothing about completion, so always ask which CC is meant.

Can I buy a flat without an OC?

Yes, if you knowingly buy under construction in a RERA-registered project; the promoter must obtain the OC later (Section 11(4)(b)). Do not accept a flat sold as ready to move with no OC for its tower: utilities, loans, taxes and resale get harder.

What is a part OC?

An OC covering only some completed blocks or floors. Delhi's bye-laws allow a part certificate for at least one block complete in all respects. Check that it names the tower and floor of your flat.

What is BU permission in Gujarat?

Gujarat's name for the occupancy certificate, issued by the local body or development authority (for example AMC or AUDA). It counts as the OC under RERA, which covers such certificates by whatever name called.

How do I check whether a building has an OC?

Get a full copy, read the towers, floors and date, verify the reference number with the issuing authority or its portal, and check the project's page on the state RERA portal. "OC applied for" is not an OC.

Is a builder's failure to get the OC a deficiency in service?

Yes. In Samruddhi Co-operative Housing Society v. Mumbai Mahalaxmi Construction (Civil Appeal 4000 of 2019, 11 January 2022), the Supreme Court held it a deficiency in service and a continuing wrong.

Is the completion certificate the same as the occupancy certificate?

Not always. The Act defines them separately and Section 11(4)(b) requires one or both as local law applies. Delhi issues one combined occupancy-cum-completion certificate; other authorities issue two.

Know the Paperwork Before the Buyer Asks

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RERACertified sells this course. RERACertified™ Pro is a private certification and does not replace state RERA agent registration.