Fire And Safety Certificate For Buildings In India

Fire safety is not just a legal requirement but a crucial step to ensure peace of mind. It is a major concern when constructing a building and maintaining it in a country like ours. With the growing urbanization and increasing infrastructural developments, it has become significant to ensure that the occupants of high-rise buildings are safe from any uncalled fire hazard. A Fire Clearance Certificate is a way to keep a check on it, as it certifies only those buildings that adhere to the fire safety regulations and are equipped with necessary firefighting measures and systems. This blog will acquaint you with how to get a fire safety certificate for buildings in India and when and why it is required.

Table of Contents

• Fire Clearance Certificate
• Fire Certificate Before Renting or Buying a Property
• How to Verify if a Property Has a Fire and Safety Certificate
• Fire Safety Measures Customers Should Look for in a Property
• Fire Safety Certificate Issued for Buildings in India
• Who Needs a Fire Compliance Certificate in India
• Get a Fire Certificate
• Documents Required to Obtain a Fire Clearance Certificate in India

What is a Fire Clearance Certificate?

As the name suggests, a Fire compliance certificate certifies that a premise is compliant with all the standard rules and regulations of fire safety prescribed by the National Building Code of India (NBC). Also known as a Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate), a fire and safety certificate is issued by the Fire Department of the respective state. It is a mandatory certificate for commercial buildings, high-rise buildings, industrial units, schools, hospitals, hotels, and other similar structures. Before signing a rental agreement or purchasing a property, asking for this certificate can protect your life, belongings, and financial investment.

Why Ask for a Fire Certificate Before Renting or Buying a Property?

When renting or buying a property, most people focus on location, price, and amenities. However, one crucial factor that often gets overlooked is fire safety. Ensuring that a building has a Fire and Safety Certificate is not just about compliance—it’s about your safety and peace of mind.

1. Ensures Personal and Property Safety: Fire can spread rapidly causing injuries, fatalities, and severe property damage. A certified building is equipped with essential fire safety measures such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and hydrants, making it easier for occupants to protect their lives and property.
2. Legal Compliance: The National Building Code (NBC) of India has mandated that all commercial, industrial, and high-rise residential buildings must have a valid fire safety certificate issued by the Fire Department of their state. So, if you buy a property with such a certificate it means you are at a lesser risk as a resident in case of a fire incident.
3. Impact on Home Insurance: Many insurance companies also ask for a fire and safety certificate before issuing property insurance for a building, so it becomes necessary to get it else the insurance claim may get rejected.
4. Protects Your Investment and Resale Value: Customers, employees, and tenants not only feel safer in buildings that have a fire and safety certificate; but they also weigh it more than uncertified ones because a building with a fire NOC holds higher resale value.
5. Ensures Fire Emergency Preparedness: Living in a certified building means you are better protected in case of an unforeseen fire incident. It is because a building with a fire NOC has clearly marked escape routes and fire exits. Moreover, there are trained personnel to handle fire emergencies in such buildings.

Suggested read: Refuge Areas in Building Safety

How to Verify if a Property Has a Fire and Safety Certificate?

Now that you know why you should ask for a fire and safety certificate before buying or renting a property, it is time to also help you understand how to verify whether a property has such a certificate or not.

1. Ask for a copy of this certificate from the landlord, builder, or the housing society
2. Check with the local fire authorities to verify the authenticity of this certificate
3. Inspect yourself the fire safety measures installed in the building such as the smoke alarms, sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and emergency exits

What are the Fire Safety Measures Customers Should Look for in a Property?

As a buyer or a tenant, you must check for the following fire safety features in a property:

1. Presence of fire extinguishers, sprinklers, fire alarms, hydrants
2. Proper fire exits and escape routes
3. Clearly marked emergency evacuation plans
4. Regular fire safety drills and maintenance checks

Suggested read: Construction Flaws in Buildings & Homes

When is a Fire Safety Certificate Issued for Buildings in India?

Now that you know what is a fire safety certificate and why get it, let us acquaint you with when it is required. Such a compliance certificate is needed in the following scenarios:

1. Renewals and Inspections: Businesses and residential societies are typically required to get their fire certificate renewed every 1 to 5 years based on the inspections conducted there.
2. Construction of New Buildings: It is mandatory to obtain a fire clearance certificate in India when a new building is constructed, especially a high-rise building above 15 meters.
3. Business Operations: It is a must-have certificate that businesses often require to obtain a license to operate.

Who Needs a Fire Compliance Certificate in India?

Before revealing how to get a fire certificate, it is important that you know who needs it. Basically, all sorts of commercial or residential buildings and premises where a large number of people gather need such a fire clearance certificate. The list of such establishments or buildings is given below:

1. Hotels and Restaurants
2. Schools and Educational Institutions
3. Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
4. Warehouses and Godowns
5. Theaters and Multiplexes
6. Industrial Establishments
7. Commercial Complexes
8. High-Rise Buildings (Above 15 meters in height)

How to Get a Fire Certificate?

Coming back to the most important thing, that is, how to obtain a fire safety certificate for buildings in India? The procedure is simple and all one needs is to follow these steps:

Step 1: Application Submission – The building owner or an authorized representative must apply to the local Fire Department with a duly filed application. This same procedure of application submission can be done online.

Step 2: Document Verification – The application and the documents submitted are then reviewed by the fire department for compliance with the latest fire safety norms in India. Any discrepancies detected or missing documents are then informed to the applicant and must be resubmitted promptly.

Step 3: Building Inspection – After document verification, experienced fire officers conduct a physical inspection of the premises and check for fire exits, alarms, extinguishers, sprinklers, and other fire & safety house systems.

Step 4: Compliance Report – If the premise meets all the fire safety requirements, a positive compliance report is generated, and if shortcomings are found, the applicant is given time to rectify them.

Step 5: Approval and Issuance – Once the inspection is conducted and the building gets approval, the fire safety certificate is issued.

Step 6: Renewal of Fire Certificate – The fire safety certificate usually needs to be renewed every year with a reinspection procedure, so follow the procedure again to obtain it.

What are the Documents Required to Obtain a Fire Clearance Certificate in India?

Before you set out to apply for a fire and safety certificate in India, you must gather all these documents:

1. ID Card of the Applicant
2. Local Municipal Authority Approved Building Model
3. Site Layout Plan
4. Building Plan
5. Structural Stability Certificate
6. An Architect’s Certified Checklist
7. Exterior Photographs of the Building
8. Electricity Safety Certificate
9. Fire Safety Audit Report, if applying for renewal
10. No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Pollution Control Board, if applicable

Takeaway

A Fire and Safety Certificate is not just a legal formality but a critical requirement to safeguard lives and properties. Building owners should take it seriously and ensure that their structures comply with the fire safety norms to obtain this certificate. Moreover, a fire and safety certificate must be renewed regularly to promote fire safety on-premises and also to stay in compliance with the regulations of a particular state.