The Act - an Overview Part 2: Approval of Construction Work Etc. Section 21: Occupation or use without completion certificates
64.This section contains provision to prevent occupation or use of a building where a construction or conversion of the building requiring a building warrant is being or has been carried out, and no completion certificate has been accepted.
65.Subsections (3) and (4) make provision for a verifier to grant and extend permission for temporary occupation of such a building on application by the owner or person on whose behalf the work is carried out. Copies of such permissions must be sent to the local authority.
66.Subsections (5) and (6) create an offence of occupying or using a building in respect of which a completion certificate has not been accepted. The offence does not apply where there is a temporary permission under subsection (3) or to occupation of the building in connection with the construction or conversion. The offence applies only to occupation or use where the person either knows that a completion certificate has not been accepted or pays no regard to whether one has been accepted.
67.Subsections (7) to (9) make provision for a local authority to seek, by interdict, to prevent occupation or use of such a building and for a court to grant such an interdict.