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Acronymsaka: Temporary Certificate of Occupancyaka: temporary CO

TCO (Temporary Certificate of Occupancy)

In Plain English

Permission from the building department to occupy a building before all final inspections are complete.

Definition

A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the local building authority to allow a building or a portion of it to be occupied before all work is complete, provided that the incomplete work does not pose a safety hazard and a timeline for completion is agreed upon. TCOs are common on phased construction projects or when punch list items remain outstanding but the owner needs to occupy the space. A final Certificate of Occupancy replaces the TCO once all work is completed and inspected.

Example

The retailer needs to open for the holiday season so the building department issues a TCO for the completed tenant space while exterior landscaping is deferred to spring.

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