What is a Certificate of Occupancy in Real Estate and When Do You Need One?

If you’re selling your home, you may be wondering if and when you need a certificate of occupancy (CO) that shows your home is safe to occupy. Or maybe the requirement came up during your home sale, and you’re wondering what it is and why you need one. In this article, we explain what a certificate of occupancy is and when you might need one during your home sale. To provide you with the most complete information, we talked to the experts: Eugene Lackey, Assistant Supervisor for the City of Cincinnati Shannon McEwen, former Department Manager of Building Permits for Clark County, Nevada Sandro Perez, Manager of Building Inspections and Enforcement at Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin Let’s get started. How Much Is Your Home Worth Now? Get a near-instant home value estimate from HomeLight for free. Our tool analyzes the records of recently sold homes near you, your home’s last sale price, and other market trends to provide a preliminary range of value in under two minutes. What is a certificate of occupancy? A certificate of occupancy (CO) is a document that confirms that your home is in compliance with local laws and safe to live in. A certificate of occupancy typically serves three purp...