In Victoria, an occupancy permit if a document that includes the conditions of occupation that must be followed by the building owner. These conditions typically include conditions requiring the maintenance (including routine servicing) of essential safety measures.
By displaying the occupancy permit in an approved location the owner becomes publicly accountable for the conditions that they (or a tenant) must comply with in order to safely continue to occupy the building.
BUILDING REGULATIONS 2018 - REG 197
r198 Display of occupancy permit at approved location
(1) This regulation applies to—(a) Class 1b, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 buildings constructed on or after 1 July 1994; and
(b) Class 9 buildings; and
(c) places of public entertainment.
(2) An owner of a building or place of public entertainment must ensure that a copy of any current occupancy permit in relation to that building or place is displayed and kept displayed at an approved location within the building or place.
Penalty: 10 penalty units.
r198 Approved location for display of permit
(1) Subject to subregulation (3), the relevant building surveyor must ensure that a location approved within a building for the purposes of regulation 197 is in a prominent position and is accessible to the occupants of the building.(2) The relevant building surveyor must ensure that a location approved within a place of public entertainment for the purposes of regulation 197 is in a prominent position and is accessible to the public.
(3) In a building of a class of building referred to in regulation 281, the location approved for the purposes of regulation 197 may be in an area to which access is available only with the authorisation of the owner of the building.
The most common way to mount an occupancy permit is in some type of frame adjacent to the designated building entry point of the building. While there is no mention in legislation of how the occupancy permit should be displayed, it is common practice to mount the document (multi-page A4 in size) within a picture frame on a wall or laminated and fixed to the wall to the side (inside) of the designated building entry point.
For buildings constructed after July 1, 1994, if you do not have a copy of your Occupancy Permit you may be able to apply to your local council for a copy. Fees may apply for document retrieval.
