Occupation Certificate Sydney
You cannot legally move into a new home or open a new commercial space in New South Wales until an Occupation Certificate has been issued. Vast Consulting Group is a registered certifier based in Botany, carrying out the inspections and paperwork needed to get your Occupation Certificate across the line for homes, granny flats, pools and commercial projects across Sydney.
How it works in New South Wales
An Occupation Certificate (OC) is issued by your Principal Certifier once building work is complete and the certifier is satisfied it complies with the Construction Certificate or Complying Development Certificate, the Building Code of Australia within the National Construction Code, and any relevant conditions of consent. You cannot occupy or use a new building, or a part of one, until the OC has been issued. Historically, interim and final OCs have both existed for staged occupation of larger projects, but the key point for most homeowners and smaller developments is the same: no OC, no legal occupation.
Your Principal Certifier is the one who issues the OC, and they need to have carried out the critical stage inspections through the build to be satisfied the finished work matches what was approved. If a different certifier was your Principal Certifier through construction, they generally need to issue the OC, though Vast can advise on your options if you want to change certifiers late in a project.
The process with Vast
Confirm your Principal Certifier status
If Vast has been your Principal Certifier through the build, we already hold the inspection history needed to move to occupation.
Final inspection
We carry out the final inspection of the completed building against the approved Construction Certificate or Complying Development Certificate and the National Construction Code.
Outstanding items resolved
We flag anything that needs fixing before occupation and work with your builder to close it out.
Occupation Certificate issued
Once the building complies, we issue the OC so you can legally move in, lease or open the space.
What we check
Areas we cover
We issue Occupation Certificates across the Sydney metropolitan area, including the Bayside, Randwick, Inner West, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Sutherland, Liverpool and Parramatta council areas. Contact us if your project is outside these areas so we can confirm whether we can assist.
FAQs
Can I move into my new house before the Occupation Certificate is issued?
No. Occupying a new building, or part of one, before the Occupation Certificate is issued is not lawful, regardless of how complete the building looks. Wait for the OC before moving furniture in or handing over keys.
Who issues the Occupation Certificate, council or the certifier?
Your Principal Certifier issues the Occupation Certificate, not council. This is usually the same registered certifier who issued your Construction Certificate or Complying Development Certificate and carried out inspections through the build.
What happens if items are outstanding at final inspection?
We list what needs to be resolved and give your builder the chance to fix it. Once the outstanding items are addressed and the building complies, we can issue the Occupation Certificate.
Do I need a new Occupation Certificate for a renovation?
It depends on the scope of the work and whether it required a Construction Certificate or Complying Development Certificate. Send us the details of your renovation, including any change of use or additional floor area, and we will tell you whether an OC applies to your project.
Call our Sydney office on (02) 9821 2062 or get in touch through our contact page to arrange your final inspection. If you still need a Construction Certificate before you build, we can help with that too, and if your project is in Queensland, visit our Brisbane hub.
Send us the drawings. We'll tell you what it takes to get approved.
Unrestricted building surveyors and certifiers. Residential, commercial and industrial. Brisbane and Sydney.
Woolloongabba QLD 4102 (07) 3112 7689 Also serving the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast