Guides · At possession
At possession · 3 min readOccupancy Certificate, Explained
Reviewed against MahaRERA rules · Informational, not legal advice
The short version: The Occupancy Certificate is what makes living in your flat legal. Taking possession without it exposes you to real risk — insist on it before you accept keys.
What it is
The OC is the local authority's certificate that the building is complete as per the approved plan and fit for occupation. Legal water and electricity connections, and lawful occupancy itself, depend on it.
Why never take keys without it
Occupying without an OC is unauthorised: you risk penalties, no legal utilities, and trouble reselling or getting a loan later. Possession should be offered with the OC in hand.
Ask for the OC copy and verify it covers your specific wing or building.
What to watch for
- “OC is applied for, move in now” — applied-for is not issued.
Let a free tool do the work
Put this guide into action — Snagging & Handover is free and needs no login to try.
Open Snagging & HandoverRead next
This guide is general information to help you ask better questions — it is not legal advice, and it doesn't replace your own advocate or the official MahaRERA portal. Rules, rates and builder practices vary; always verify against the current MahaRERA record and your project's documents before acting.