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Buying a Home in New York: What Is a Certificate of Occupancy (CO)?

  • Zeng Law Group, PLLC
  • Jul 29
  • 3 min read



When purchasing property in New York City, there is one document that is very important. It is called the Certificate of Occupancy, abbreviated as CO.

Note that properties built before 1938 do not have a CO. Properties built after 1938 almost always have a CO. This document is issued by the New York City Department of Buildings, known as the DOB. It mainly states one thing: how the property is permitted to be used.

For example, whether the property is residential or commercial use, whether it is a one-family, two-family, or multi-family dwelling. This information will all be listed on the CO.

If a property was built after 1938 but does not have a CO, then it is possible that serious issues may arise, such as a bank refusing to approve a mortgage loan. So if there is no CO, we must find out the reason.

Actually, in New York City, there are many new developments. These new buildings first receive a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO), not a Final CO. This indicates that the property is ready for occupancy, but some construction work has not yet been completed, so a Final CO cannot be issued.

The TCO for new buildings will be renewed repeatedly, renewed repeatedly, until a Final CO is obtained.

Therefore, when buying property in New York, we, as attorneys, typically during due diligence, will check the property's CO to ensure the usage status is consistent with government records.

Simply put, the CO is the property's proof of whether it can be legally used—its "ID card."

Please make sure your attorney thoroughly reviews the CO to ensure it is accurate and valid.

If you are also looking to purchase property in New York City, feel free to talk with us.

Follow Zeng Law Group, PLLC in New York. Never be left without a solution. Bye-bye!



在纽约市购买房产的时候，有一个文件非常重要，它叫做 Certificate of Occupancy，入住许可，简称 CO。

注意，1938年之前的房产是没有CO的，1938年之后的房产几乎都会有CO。这个文件是由纽约市建筑局（DOB）颁发的，它主要说明一件事情：这个房子可以怎么使用。

比如说，这个房子是住宅还是商业用途，是一户、两户还是多户住宅，这些信息都会写在CO上面。

如果一个房子是1938年之后建的，但是它没有CO，那么有可能会遇到一些严重的情况，比如银行不愿意批准贷款等情况。所以如果它没有CO的话，我们一定要问清楚原因。

其实在纽约市，有很多的新房，这些新房首先会获得的是 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy，也就是 TCO，不是一个 Final CO。它说明的就是说，这个房子可以入住了，但是有一些施工还没有完成，所以不能获得Final CO。

这个TCO，新房会不断地续、不断地续，直到它拿到一个Final CO。

所以在纽约买房的时候，我们作为律师，一般都会在尽调的时候去检查房子的CO，确保它的使用情况跟政府的登记记录是一致的。

简单来讲，CO就是房子是不是可以合法使用的“身份证”。

请一定要让你的律师充分检查CO，确保CO准确无误。

如果你也希望在纽约市购买房产，不妨找我们聊聊。

关注纽约曾晖律师，不再无计可施。



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Website: http://www.zenglawgroup.com

WhatsApp:917-810-5388

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