MUMBAI: The BMC is moving ahead with the implementation of an occupancy certificate (OC) amnesty scheme aimed at providing relief to thousands of residents living in buildings without a formal OC. The proposal, which will be tabled before the civic standing committee on Thursday, is in accordance with directions issued by the urban development department (UDD) on December 11, 2025.
Around 25,000 occupied buildings across Mumbai lack an OC, which happens on account of builders’ procedural lapses, pending compliances, violations or deviations from approved plans. Residents without an OC often face difficulties in obtaining property-related services and approvals although technically, the civic body is not supposed to allow occupation without an OC.
Following the state government’s directive, the BMC prepared a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and implementation guidelines. However, during consultations with elected representatives, several suggestions were raised. At a meeting on February 19, 2026, corporators urged the BMC to extend the benefit to flats of all sizes instead of the original rule of 80 square metres, and include all commercial buildings instead of only schools and hospitals. They also demanded that all residential buildings with approved plans be made eligible for OCs.
A draft proposal was subsequently placed before the BMC’s standing committee in April 2026. However, following objections and suggestions from corporators, the proposal was not taken up for consideration and was later withdrawn, pending further guidance from the state government. To address the concerns raised, the BMC submitted a revised proposal to the UDD on April 15, 2026, seeking amendments and additional directions. The government’s response is still awaited.
Meanwhile, complaints from affected residents and local representatives continue to pour in, resulting in growing pressure on the BMC to begin implementing the scheme under the existing government directives while awaiting further instructions.
The new proposed scheme will apply to residential buildings, hospitals and schools that were occupied before November 17, 2016, and have valid approvals from the planning authority. Residential units with a carpet area of up to 80 square metres will be eligible for concessions. Applicants will be required to establish the authenticity of approvals and proof of occupation through valid documents.
The scheme also allows applications from builders, landowners, registered housing societies and, in certain cases, individual flat owners through registered architects or licensed surveyors. A dedicated online portal within the Auto-DCR system is proposed for submission and processing of applications.
As part of the relief measures, the BMC has proposed a 50 per cent concession on various regularisation fees, including charges related to enclosed balconies, lofts and other permissible modifications. Additional concessions have been proposed for regularisation of habitable areas that were earlier exempt from FSI calculations.
Civic officials have clarified that granting OCs under the amnesty scheme will not absolve developers or owners of their legal responsibilities, and action against violations may still be pursued under applicable laws.
The proposed scheme traces its origins to a similar OC amnesty scheme introduced by the BMC in 2004, which covered buildings occupied before March 25, 1991. Subsequent demands from residents led to proposals for extending the eligibility period to January 6, 2012, and later to November 17, 2016. The state government has now broadly agreed to the revised framework and instructed the BMC to implement the policy with suitable modifications.
