What Is a CCC? Building Approvals Explained

Before you receive the keys to a new home, one document must exist: the Certificate of Completion and Compliance, or CCC. Without it, the developer cannot deliver vacant possession under the statutory SPA, and occupying the home is itself an offence. Yet many buyers have never seen their home’s CCC, and do not know what to check.

This guide explains the whole approval journey of a housing project: planning permission, building plan approval, construction with the stage certification Forms G1 to G21, the issue of the CCC by the Principal Submitting Person (PSP), and finally the delivery of vacant possession. You will also learn why the CCC matters to you and how to check it. General information only, not legal/financial/tax advice.

Key terms

• Act 133: the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, the law under which local authorities control the construction of buildings.
• UBBL: the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, made under Act 133. Amendment K.P.U. 6/2007 introduced the CCC system.
• Act 172: the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, which governs planning permission.
• Local authority: for example a municipal or city council.
• Planning permission (kebenaran merancang, KM): approval of the land use and layout of a development.
• Qualified person: a professional architect, professional engineer or building draughtsman registered under the relevant law.
• PSP (Principal Submitting Person): the qualified person who submits the building plans to the local authority for approval.
• SP (Submitting Person): a qualified person who submits plans other than building plans, for example earthwork or structural plans, to the local authority or the relevant statutory authority.
• CCC: the Certificate of Completion and Compliance, issued in Form F. A partial CCC is issued in Form F1.
• VP: vacant possession, the handover of the home and keys to the buyer.

The approval flow: from empty land to keys

1. Planning permission The local planning authority approves the land use and layout of the development under Act 172.
2. Building plan approval The PSP submits the building plans to the local authority. No building may be erected without its prior written permission (section 70(1), Act 133).
3. Notice of commencement Notice of the intention to start building is given in Form B (by-law 22, UBBL).
4. Construction and stage certification Each component is certified in Forms G1 to G21 by the contractor and the relevant qualified person.
5. CCC issued by the PSP Once every condition in by-law 25 is met, the PSP issues Form F.
6. Copies to the local authority and board Within 14 days, the PSP lodges copies of the CCC and Forms G1 to G21 with the local authority and the Board of Architects Malaysia or Board of Engineers Malaysia.
7. Vacant possession (VP) The developer hands over the home and keys after the CCC is issued and water and electricity are ready for connection.

Step 1: planning permission

Section 19(1) of Act 172 says a person shall not commence, undertake or carry out any development without planning permission. Under section 22, the local planning authority may grant planning permission absolutely or subject to conditions, or refuse it.

Planning permission also has a time limit. Section 24 says planning permission lapses 12 months after it is granted if the development has not commenced, unless extended. An extension must be applied for before it lapses.

For a buyer, planning permission means the use of the land for housing and the estate layout have been approved. It does not yet mean the design of your home has been approved.

Step 2: building plan approval

Section 70(1) of Act 133 says, in short, that no person shall erect any building without the prior written permission of the local authority. Section 70(2) requires anyone who intends to erect a building to submit plans and specifications through a PSP or SP to the local authority and the relevant statutory authorities.

All plans, specifications and calculations must be prepared and certified by the PSP or SP, and signed by the owner (or its agent) and the PSP or SP (section 70(19)). The number and date of these approved plans are what the CCC refers back to later.

Step 3: construction and stage certification (Forms G1 to G21)

The CCC system was introduced by an amendment to Act 133 in 2007 and came into force on 12 April 2007, replacing the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CF). A key part of the system is stage certification: 21 building components are certified one by one in Forms G1 to G21, set out in the Second Schedule of the UBBL.

Each form is signed by the party that did the work (the contractor or trade contractor) and the qualified person who supervised it. They certify that the work complies with the approved plans, and accept full responsibility for it. Where a component is not part of the project (for example a lift in a terraced house), the PSP certifies on that form that it is not applicable.

According to a summary by IPM (2022), some forms must be accompanied by a confirmation letter from another agency, for example G8 and G9 from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), G11 from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), G13 from the water authority, G14 and G15 from the sewerage agency (IWK), and G16 from TNB. IPM also says the PSP notifies the local authority once Forms G1 to G3 (the substructure stage) are certified.

Step 4: the PSP issues the CCC

Section 70(20) of Act 133 says no CCC shall be issued except by a PSP, in accordance with the prescribed time, manner and procedure. By-law 25(1) of the UBBL says the PSP issues the CCC in Form F only when all four of these conditions are met:

By issuing the CCC, the PSP accepts full responsibility for it and certifies that the building is safe and fit for occupation (by-law 25(2)). Section 70(21) of Act 133 also places duties on the PSP to supervise the construction, ensure it conforms with the approved plans and the local authority’s technical conditions, and ensure the building is safe and fit for occupation.

The local authority’s role

The local authority does not issue the CCC, but it still has powers. Under by-laws 25(4) to 25(13):

• The local authority may inspect building works at any stage and give the PSP written notice to rectify a non-compliance.
• The local authority may direct the PSP in writing to withhold the CCC.
• The PSP must rectify the non-compliance within 21 days of the notice, or a longer period approved by the local authority.
• Once the PSP confirms the rectification is done, the local authority must inspect within 14 days. If it does not inspect in that time, it is deemed satisfied.
• The CCC may not be issued until every non-compliance has been rectified.

Copies lodged within 14 days

By-law 25(3) requires the PSP, within 14 days of issuing a CCC or partial CCC, to lodge a copy of it together with Forms G1 to G21 with the local authority and with the Board of Architects Malaysia or Board of Engineers Malaysia. Failing to do so is an offence (by-law 28). The Board of Architects Malaysia says the documents are submitted to the local authority and through the myLAM Portal to LAM or BEM.

Partial CCC (Form F1)

By-law 27 allows the PSP to issue a partial CCC for a completed part of a building, subject to the local authority’s conditions, and only if the essential services for that part have been provided. But note: the definition of CCC in the Schedule G SPA does not include a partial CCC. So for a landed home under Schedule G, VP requires a full CCC.

Step 5: VP

Clause 25 of the Schedule G SPA requires the developer, at its own cost, to comply with all the authority’s requirements for the issue of the CCC. Clause 26(1) then says the developer lets the buyer into possession upon:

1. the issue of the CCC;
2. water and electricity supply being ready for connection to the home;
3. the buyer having paid all amounts due under the SPA; and
4. completion of any agreed alteration or additional work (if any).

Clause 26(2) adds that delivery of VP must be supported by the CCC and includes handing over the keys.

Why the CCC matters to you

The CCC date also matters for late-delivery claims. If your home is handed over late, note the CCC date, because the 12-month period to claim LAD at the Tribunal runs from that date.

How to check your home’s CCC

• Ask for a copy of Form F from the developer or your lawyer when you receive the VP notice.
• Check the lot details. The lot number, section and road in Form F must cover your home.
• Check the plan reference. Form F states the number and date of the approved plan.
• Check the PSP. The PSP's name, address and registration number with the Board of Architects Malaysia or Board of Engineers Malaysia are stated on the form.
• Check the type of certificate. Form F is a full CCC; Form F1 is a partial CCC. Under a Schedule G SPA, VP requires a full CCC.
• Check the copy to the local authority. Form F has a copy-to section for the local authority and the board. You may ask the local authority whether the copy has been lodged, since by-law 25(3) requires it within 14 days.
• Check the developer. According to KPKT (7 September 2026), the TEDUH portal lets the public check a developer's licence status, advertising and sales permit (APDL), project progress and the status of private housing projects.

CCC compared with CPC

Buyers sometimes confuse the CCC with the CPC (Certificate of Practical Completion). The CCC is a statutory requirement issued by the PSP stating the building is safe to occupy. The CPC is issued by the architect or superintending officer under the building contract, and only confirms that the physical works in the contract are complete. The CPC is a contractual matter between the project owner and the contractor. It does not replace the CCC.

Common mistakes

• Collecting the keys without seeing the CCC. Ask for a copy of Form F every time.
• Accepting a partial CCC as enough. Under a Schedule G SPA, VP requires a full CCC.
• Assuming the local authority issues the CCC. Since 2007, the PSP issues it; the local authority regulates and can direct that it be withheld.
• Confusing the CPC with the CCC. A CPC does not allow occupation.
• Not noting the CCC date. This date starts the 12-month period for LAD claims at the Tribunal.
• Moving in and renovating before formal VP. Occupying a building without a CCC is an offence.

Quick checklist

• I know the project has planning permission and approved building plans.
• I have checked the developer's licence and APDL on the TEDUH portal.
• I have a copy of Form F (not Form F1) before collecting the keys.
• The lot number, plan reference and PSP details in Form F are correct.
• I have noted the CCC date and the VP date.
• Water and electricity are ready for connection at VP.

Next step

To understand how payments link to each stage up to VP, read construction stages and the payment schedule. For handover day, read the handover inspection guide and the Quality & Handover page. To see how RumahHQ reports project progress openly, see Transparency. If you are looking for a home, Register Interest. It is free and non-binding.