One of the important certificates that a building owner in Auckland has to cater for is a Certificate of Acceptance. It would therefore be useful to look into the process for getting this certificate.

First, what is a Certificate of Acceptance?

This certificate of acceptance is characterized by:

• having come into force on 31 March 2005
• it is a new addition to the building act of 2004
• coming into play when building works have been done without proper consent
• being applied in cases where the building consent authority is unable to issue a code compliance certificate.

The process for applying for a Certificate of Acceptance

This Certificate of Acceptance can be applied for the entire building or a single part of the building. The application is available online. An individual can download it and fill up the relevant information and enclose the necessary details and submit it to the Auckland Council.

What evidence does it need?

The application for a Certificate of Acceptance needs to be accompanied by evidence, usually furnished by a professional, of the building works that have been undertaken. Basically, this evidence should point to the work having been done in compliance with the building act of 2004. This is especially important when building works have been undertaken in areas such as foundations which cannot be inspected by the Auckland Council.

The point to remember here is that the certificate of acceptance may not be issued if the evidence furnished does not support compliance with the building act. Further more, in some cases; the Auckland Council may also direct the building owner to remove the building works that have been carried out.

Timeframe

Typically, the Auckland Council processes applications for certificates of acceptance within 20 working days. The one thing to remember here is that this timeframe may get extended if the Council seeks additional documentation or information of any kind. But, if a homeowner can supply this information as quickly as possible then the ‘clock will restart’ so to speak.

The Council also states that they get five days from the date of submission of the application to ensure that all the relevant information has been given. Every time the Council asks the applicant for information, then the clock will stop!

There is no doubt whatsoever that getting a COA in Auckland is one of the best ways in which you can regularise all the building works that you may have undertaken without prior building consent.