---
title: "Certificate of occupancy (CO) — Class A Atlas glossary"
description: "Local-authority sign-off that the space may be occupied."
canonical: https://classa.info/glossary/certificate-of-occupancy
pageType: glossary
lastUpdated: 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Local-authority sign-off that the space may be occupied.

## TL;DR

- Local-authority sign-off that the space may be occupied.
- Required for legal tenant occupancy in most jurisdictions.

# Certificate of occupancy (CO)

*Legal · Global*

## Short definition

Local-authority sign-off that the space may be occupied.

## Full definition

Required for legal tenant occupancy in most jurisdictions. Common rent-commencement trigger: earlier of CO issued or tenant moving in.

## Why this matters for Class A leasing

Certificate of occupancy (CO) is part of the legal vocabulary that institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a) occupiers, landlords, and advisers use across Global markets. Understanding it correctly affects how you read lease documents, model occupancy economics, and benchmark deal terms across cities. Class A Atlas tracks regional variation alongside the global standard so [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) occupiers can translate quickly.

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/glossary/certificate-of-occupancy), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.