Certificates of Acceptance is a building certification that can be issued retrospectively by the council for unconsented building work.
A Certificate of Acceptance may be issued for building work already done if either:
- the owner or any previous owner did the work and a building consent was required for the work but not obtained
- building work had been carried out urgently (see section 42 of the Building Act 2004)
- a building consent authority that is not a territorial authority or a regional authority is unable or refuses to issue a code compliance certificate in relation to building work for which it granted a building consent.
The work must-have been carried out after 1 July 1992 and comply with the current Building Code. Certificate of Acceptance may be issued for unconsented works completed since 1993.
From 17 July 2024, all new applications for a Certificate of Acceptance will be assessed to see if they need to pay development contributions – fees payable to the council to fund the infrastructure required to support growth – such as new roads, pathways, pipes, and parks. These fees must be paid before the Certificate of Acceptance will be issued.
Find out more about development contributions.