{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-safety-act-2022/section-76",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-safety-act-2022/section-76.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2022/30",
  "legislation_title": "Building Safety Act 2022",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/building-safety-act-2022",
  "path": "section/76",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "76",
  "heading": "Requirement for completion certificate before occupation",
  "text": "(1) This section applies if any of the following works are carried out—\n(a) the construction of a higher-risk building;\n(b) the creation of additional residential units in such a building;\n(c) works to a building that cause it to become a higher-risk building.\n(2) If a relevant residential unit is occupied before a completion certificate relating to a relevant part of the building is issued, the relevant accountable person commits an offence.\n(3) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that the person had a reasonable excuse for the residential unit being occupied before such a completion certificate was issued.\n(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—\n(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum summary term for either-way offences or a fine (or both);\n(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine (or both).\n(5) In this section—\n“completion certificate” means a certificate of a prescribed description that is issued under regulations made under section 1(1) of the Building Act 1984 (building regulations);\n“occupied”: a residential unit is occupied if there is a resident of it;\n“relevant accountable person”, in relation to a residential unit, means the accountable person who is responsible for a relevant part of the building;\n“relevant part” of a building, in relation to a residential unit, means a part of the building containing the residential unit;\n“relevant residential unit” means—\n(a) in the case of works within subsection (1)(a), any residential unit in the building;\n(b) in the case of works within subsection (1)(b), any additional residential unit;\n(c) in the case of works within subsection (1)(c), any residential unit in the building except one that existed before the works began.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 76 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 170(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 76 in force at 1.10.2023 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2023/993, reg. 2(p)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/section/76",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:56:43.272944+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}