The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to unveil a new policy by the end of this month aimed at enabling thousands of housing societies in Mumbai to obtain long-pending Occupation Certificates (OCs). The proposed framework could benefit nearly 25,000 cooperative housing societies across the city that currently lack this crucial legal document.
The initiative follows an announcement made by the Maharashtra government in September 2025, when it stated that a formal policy outlining rules and procedures for obtaining OCs would soon be introduced.
According to civic officials, the BMC plans to place the proposal before the standing committee within the next few days. “Once the standing committee approves it, the policy will be forwarded to the Maharashtra government’s Urban Development Department for the final go-ahead,” a BMC official told Hindustan Times Real Estate.
The scheme is expected to function as a form of amnesty programme, allowing housing societies to regularise their status by paying specified charges to obtain the certificate. Applications will be accepted only within a fixed timeframe, and the penalties imposed will depend on factors such as the nature of violations, building size, and extent of deviations from approved plans. Officials say the goal is to ensure that every housing society in the city ultimately secures an OC.
Gopal Shetty, a former BJP MP from North Mumbai who led the party’s committee on the OC issue, said the civic body is preparing to roll out the policy soon. “There were ongoing discussions on whether commercial units should also be given OC or not, along with residential units. However, now the decision is under consideration that OC should be given to all,” Shetty said.
Siddarth Sharma, BJP corporator and member of the BMC law committee, added that the proposal is nearing completion. “The decisions are in the final stages, and we are expecting that the proposal of the policy will be put forward in the BMC’s standing committee shortly in the next few days. The aim is to ensure that all the citizens, irrespective of whether they are commercial unit or residential unit owners, should get OC.”
He further explained, “The policy will be comprehensive, wherein we are going to give around one year’s period to housing societies to come forward and apply for OC, during which they will not be levied any penalty. Further, to not discriminate, even commercial unit holders are expected to be given OC.”
An Occupation Certificate is a key legal document issued by the municipal authority confirming that a building has been constructed according to approved plans and is safe for occupancy. In its absence, residents often face difficulties obtaining home loans, accessing civic services such as water and sewage connections, or undertaking redevelopment projects. Across Mumbai, many housing societies built decades ago are still waiting to secure this mandatory certificate.
If implemented, the new policy could provide a long-awaited solution for thousands of property owners and housing societies struggling with incomplete regulatory compliance.
Source: Hindustan Times
