Occupancy certificate, completion certificate and possession letter: the three papers to get before you move in

The keys feel like the finish line. They are not. Three papers decide whether your flat is legally ready to live in, easy to sell and easy to borrow against: the completion certificate, the occupancy certificate and the possession letter.

Plenty of Kolkata buyers move in with none of the three. Most get away with it for years. Some find out at resale. Here is what each paper is and when to insist on it.

What a completion certificate proves

A completion certificate (CC) is issued by the municipality or development authority after the building is finished and inspected. It confirms the building was built as per the sanctioned plan: the number of floors, the setbacks, the parking and the overall height.

In Kolkata Municipal Corporation areas, this is the document you will usually see, sometimes called a completion-cum-occupancy document. Large phased projects may get a partial CC for the towers that are finished.

If the developer added an extra floor or covered a parking area that was meant to be open, the building may not get a clean CC. That is why it matters: it is the only paper that says the building you are buying is the building that was approved.

What an occupancy certificate adds

An occupancy certificate (OC) confirms that the building is fit to be occupied: that services such as water, drainage, fire safety and lifts are in place. In many places it is issued after or together with the CC.

Under RERA, the developer is responsible for obtaining the CC or the OC, or both, and making it available to buyers. RERA also expects buyers to take physical possession within two months of the OC being issued. In other words, the law puts the certificate before the keys, not after.

Which name your document carries depends on the authority. What matters is that a competent authority has signed off on the building you are moving into.

What a possession letter is, and what it should say

A possession letter is issued by the developer to you. It records that the flat has been handed over, the date of possession, the flat number, the floor and the parking allotted.

A good possession letter states:

• The flat and parking numbers, matching your agreement for sale.
• The carpet area as handed over.
• The date from which maintenance becomes payable.
• A reference to the CC or OC.
• Any work still pending, with a date.

Do not confuse it with an offer of possession. An offer simply invites you to come and take the flat after paying the balance. The letter is what you get when you actually do.

Why the certificates matter more than the keys

• Home loans: banks in Kolkata generally want the sanctioned plan and the CC before they release money for a ready flat.
• Resale: the next buyer's lawyer and bank will ask for both. A flat without them sells slower and at a discount.
• Mutation and tax: getting your own assessment from the municipality is easier with the certificate on file. See our guide to property tax in Kolkata.
• Legal risk: a building occupied without sign-off can face penalties, and in serious cases unauthorised portions can be ordered demolished.

The order things should happen in

1. The building is finished and the developer applies for the CC.
2. The authority inspects and issues it, along with the OC where that is a separate document.
3. The developer sends you an offer of possession and the final demand.
4. You inspect the flat, raise a snag list and measure the carpet area.
5. You pay the balance, get the possession letter and the keys.
6. The conveyance or sale deed is registered in your name.

Most RERA model agreements allow a small variation in carpet area, often up to 3%, beyond which the price is adjusted. Measure before you sign the handover letter, not after.

If the developer says the certificate is coming

You will hear this often. Sometimes it is true and the paperwork is genuinely a few weeks behind. Sometimes the building has a deviation that will never be regularised.

Ask for the application number and the date it was filed. Check the project's status on the WBRERA site using our guide to verifying RERA registration. And keep the final installment until the certificate is in your hand if your agreement allows it. Our guide to under construction vs ready to move covers the trade-offs.

Buying a ready flat? We check the papers first

Every ready flat we sell comes with the CC, occupancy status and handover paperwork checked before you pay. Ask us for the documents on any project, including ones we do not sell.

See our rentals service, browse verified properties, or talk to our legal and loan help desk. We are a RERA-registered agent, WBRERA/A/HOW/2025/000651. This is general guidance and not legal advice; check the specifics for your property with a professional.