Abu Dhabi: The Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi (DMT) has launched the Building Occupancy and Legalization Certificate Program as part of Administrative Decision No. (1) of 2024.
This initiative aims to improve building standards and safety, ensuring compliance with regulations while increasing the economic and social worth of properties.
It enhances real estate value by promoting longer design life through scheduled maintenance, thereby boosting investor confidence and reducing future costs and emergency repairs. Additionally, it fosters a safer living environment for residents by adhering to top safety standards, ultimately elevating their quality of life.
The program also supports the effective enforcement of construction regulations and fosters a transparent legal framework for overseeing construction and occupancy activities.
This promotes smoother real estate transactions, encourages sustainable building practices, and reduces the environmental impact of properties.
DMT explained that the program will be phased in over three stages, starting with the issuance of a Conditional Occupancy Certificate.
This certificate focuses on critical standards like fire safety, gas installations, structural integrity, elevator safety, and child protection, allowing gradual compliance with other regulations over time.
Existing residential villas are exempt from the requirements of the first and later stages for obtaining a full occupancy certificate, except for villas that have surpassed their design life and pose safety hazards to occupants.
This allows for a more tailored approach to addressing the specific conditions of each property, ensuring safety without imposing unnecessary regulations.
His Excellency Ahmed Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of Building Permits Workstream at the DMT, said that, “Our aim is to enhance confidence among residents and investors within the emirate through our commitment to deliver services that adhere to the utmost standards of security and safety, thereby fostering sustainable development.”
DMT highlighted that the program ultimately seeks to elevate compliance standards in the construction and real estate sectors. It provides property developers and owners with smoother processes, offering clear timelines for completing each phase of the certification. This ensures transparency and efficiency throughout the certification process.