What is the purpose of a completion notice?
Why is there a notice of completion?
When a building project is finally completed, it can be handed over to the users. However, before the owners (or tenants) can actually use the building, official notification of completion must be submitted to the authorities. In Vienna, this is regulated and stipulated in §128 of the building regulations. In other federal states, this is done, for example, via an "application for authorisation to use".
As part of this notification, a civil engineer confirms that the building project has been carried out in accordance with the building permit and the regulations. Depending on the legal situation, further findings or confirmations may be required, for example
as-built plans
-Submission of the findings of the inspection engineer
-findings of the chimney sweep
-channel findings
-Water pipe findings
-Gas and electrical installation findings
-etc.
If, in the course of the construction work, there are any changes or significant changes to the approved project, these must of course also be brought to the attention of the authority by means of entries in the as-built plan or as a separate approval procedure beforehand or have them approved.
If the notification of completion is not made or an unauthorised building is used, this can have consequences under civil, insurance and criminal law in the event of damage. These are not only limited to the original builder / developer, but also affect the owner / co-owner. Therefore, when purchasing a property, it is also important to check whether a legally valid building permit exists and whether a corresponding notice of completion has been issued.
