The City of Tshwane has urged property owners who have constructed new homes or buildings to schedule free inspections to obtain their occupation certificates at no cost.
MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, emphasised the importance of an occupation certificate, explaining that it ensures a building’s safety and is crucial for banks to register property bonds and for insurance companies to provide coverage.
“An occupation certificate is extremely important because it confirms that the building may be safely occupied. There are various industries that rely on such occupation certificates, for example, banks which can then grant and register bonds against the property; or the insurance industry which, with an occupation certificate, can then provide you with insurance on the structures, buildings and other insurance-related issues.”
She added that failing to obtain an occupation certificate makes occupying the building unlawful and could affect insurance payouts for property damage, destruction, or injury claims.
Mabotsa explained that if a building fails the initial inspection, a re-inspection will incur a fee. She further noted that all fees within the Built Environment and Enforcement Division are regulated by the Charges and Tariffs published in the Provincial Gazette.
“An occupation certificate helps you to protect yourself, your family and your home. The first inspection is free and, if the building has passed its inspection, the building’s occupation certificate is issued at no cost,” she said.
The Built Environment and Enforcement (BEE) Division of the Department of Economic Development and Spatial Planning oversees the receipt, evaluation, and approval of building plans. According to the National Building Regulations and Standards Act (Act 103 of 1977), once construction is completed, property owners must apply for an occupation certificate as required by Section 14 of the Act.
Property owners can schedule free inspections through the municipality's relevant regional offices.
She urged residents to report any requests for additional payments by inspectors or municipal officials—whether on-site or at the municipal office—that are not included in the gazetted Charges and Tariffs to the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Hotline at 080 TSHWANE (080 874 9263).
Members of the public can request a copy of the approved charges and tariffs for building plans and re-inspections directly from [email protected].
The Star