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The Karnataka government has exempted eligible Bengaluru homeowners from obtaining Occupancy Certificates (OCs), offering relief to residents affected by developers' failure to secure the mandatory approvals. The exemption applies to residential buildings that comply with sanctioned plans and prescribed norms, while illegal constructions and projects with major deviations remain excluded. The decision aims to ease hardships faced by homebuyers without diluting enforcement against developers responsible for regulatory violations or unauthorised construction.
The Karnataka government has announced an exemption from the Occupancy Certificate (OC) requirement for eligible homeowners in Bengaluru, providing relief to residents who have been unable to obtain the mandatory document due to lapses by developers despite purchasing completed homes.
The decision was approved by the state Cabinet in the past week and applies to residential buildings that satisfy specified eligibility conditions. According to the government, the exemption is aimed at protecting homebuyers who acted in good faith and should not be penalised for developers' failure to secure Occupancy Certificates after construction.
Under the revised policy, the exemption will be available only to buildings constructed in accordance with sanctioned plans and other applicable regulations. Officials clarified that the measure does not extend to unauthorised constructions, buildings with major deviations or projects developed without statutory approvals. The government said illegal structures would continue to face action under existing planning and municipal laws.
The Occupancy Certificate certifies that a building has been constructed according to approved plans and complies with applicable safety, structural and civic infrastructure requirements. In Bengaluru, thousands of homeowners have faced difficulties in obtaining utility connections, property registrations, financial services and legal documentation because developers failed to obtain OCs despite handing over completed apartments.
The Cabinet noted that many apartment owners had invested their life savings in purchasing homes and should not continue to face administrative hardships arising from regulatory non-compliance by builders. The exemption seeks to address these issues while ensuring accountability remains with project developers responsible for obtaining statutory approvals.
Officials said the policy would benefit only genuine homebuyers and should not be interpreted as a relaxation of building regulations. Municipal authorities will continue to examine compliance with sanctioned plans before extending the exemption, and enforcement proceedings against developers responsible for violations will remain unaffected.
The government added that the revised framework seeks to strike a balance between consumer protection and regulatory enforcement. While eligible residents will receive relief from procedural difficulties, authorities emphasised that planning norms, structural safety standards and development regulations will continue to apply to all future projects.
The decision comes amid longstanding concerns over delayed or missing Occupancy Certificates in Bengaluru's residential market. Industry stakeholders have repeatedly highlighted that the issue has affected thousands of apartment owners despite completed construction and physical possession of their homes.
With the Cabinet approval now in place, the state government is expected to issue detailed operational guidelines outlining eligibility conditions, implementation procedures and the responsibilities of local planning authorities for processing applications under the exemption framework.
Source: PTI
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