Do you have questions about your property’s certificate of occupancy? Here are some quick answers to some of your queries.
Certificate of Occupancy
So what is a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) and do you really need it? A CO describes the legal use of your building, including its occupancy limits, allowable use/s of the building, layout and the likes. New buildings should have a CO and existing buildings needs to an updated or an amended CO more so if the building did some construction that changed the buildings use, occupancy limit and exits. Buildings cannot be legally occupied without a proper CO issued. If there is no CO for the building yet, at least it must have a TCO or a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
What is a TCO?
A building requires a CO for sure but in some cases where the building is deemed safe to be occupied but there are some issues that needs to be resolved before a final CO can be issued, then a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can be issued for the building, stating that it is safe to be occupied. TCOs usually have a 90 day expiry and it is not renewable even if the issues that deter issuance of a final CO is not yet resolved. If your building does not have a final CO yet, then please don’t hesitate to contact us, so we can assist you in procuring one.
Letters of No Objection
If your property was built before 1938 and its use, exit or occupancy has not been altered, then you might not need a Certificate of Occupancy. If you are not sure when the property was built, then you can easily check with the DOBs BIS to check for the building's construction date. If indeed the building was built before 1938 and you need a proof of the property’s legal use and exemption from the CO requirement, then you can request the DOB for a Letter of No Objection or an LNO. The LNO will be issued if the building in question complies with the NYC Building Codes and Zoning Resolution and occupancy, use and exits remains unchanged.
In the End
Your building needs a CO if only to ensure that all applicable laws and building regulations were complied and that the property can be occupied safely with the type of use and load it currently holds. If you are not sure and would like to confirm, you can always visit the DOBs website and search thru their online facility for your property’s address and pertinent information about the building will be located there. Should you need any assistance with regards to your CO, whether it’s to update your CO, get a new one issued for your property or if you need help figuring out if you actually need to amend your existing CO, then do not hesitate to contact us via email or phone and we will be glad to assist you.