New Certificate of Occupancy requirements for new homes from October 2024
Published Monday, 4 December 2023
An update to the state’s planning laws will require a Certificate of Occupancy to be issued before residents can move into newly built homes from October next year.
The certification will be issued by a local council or a private building certifier, giving homeowners peace of mind that their new home is safe and suitable to occupy.
The Certificate of Occupancy will be required for all houses and townhouses where the building consent application is lodged and verified in the e-planning system on or after 1 October 2024.
The date for introducing Certificate of Occupancy requirements for new homes has been delayed from January next year to provide industry with additional time to adapt to the new requirements and recognises our state’s current housing affordability and accessibility issues.
This also aligns with new energy efficiency and liveable housing standards coming into effect across the state from October next year.
While a Certificate of Occupancy is not currently required for new houses, key health and safety requirements must still be met for new homes.
To support the building industry to adapt to the changes, new requirements and forms for obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy have been published on the PlanSA portal.
A comprehensive training program to support the building industry will also be provided in 2024.
