Home / Housing disputes / Building permit / How to check a building permit by number
If you are buying an apartment, you are probably studying the offers on the market. Shared construction is in particular demand. The developer offers housing at affordable prices, but you will have to wait, because the house is not ready yet. Don't rush to choose the first company you come across. First you need to check whether the developer has issued a permit to build the house? If you don't do this, you can lose money and be left without an apartment.
The question arises, where can I find out whether a permit was issued for the construction of an apartment building? Often you have to search for information yourself using the document number. There are regular and online ways to find out the details. Read our article about where and how to contact.
✅ Why check the building permit?
Construction is subject to general rules. It is prohibited to construct objects without proper registration of construction work. This is especially true for technically complex structures - apartment buildings, factories, shopping centers, power plants, laboratories, etc.
A construction permit is a mandatory document in the developer’s arsenal, which confirms that construction is being carried out in accordance with the project, does not create a safety hazard, and meets the standards of SNiPs and other regulations (Article 51 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The issuance occurs as part of the standard procedure. The permit has the signatures of the chief architect, representatives of nearby authorities, as well as the mayor of the city. It is impossible to forge a document. The information is entered into a single electronic register, from where you can find out all the information of interest.
Checking a building permit is necessary primarily for shareholders . If you want to buy an apartment in a building under construction, you must enter into an equity participation agreement (EPA). But first, you should check whether the construction of a residential building is legal, whether the developer has permits, licenses, acts of government bodies and, in general, the right to conduct construction activities.
Expert opinion
Semyon Frolov
Lawyer. 7 years of experience. Specialization: family, inheritance, housing law.
If it turns out that there is no building permit, you are faced with scammers . They cannot begin construction because they have not coordinated the actions with local authorities. And if you do not want to be deceived, do not even contact such companies. As a rule, they are not involved in construction. Their goal is to advertise their services, enter into partnership agreements with gullible people, and then simply run away with the money. The state is fighting such scammers in every possible way. For example, from July 1, 2021, a system of payment for equity participation agreements using escrow accounts was introduced. However, “black” developers are introducing new schemes to deceive citizens. Be on the lookout!
What is this permission?
Construction regulation is carried out on the basis of the town planning code, which includes the following provisions:
- If the site on which construction is planned does not comply with the code according to its characteristics, then the corresponding rules on its territory are no longer valid.
- Whatever the construction, even if it is a small project, there must be an appropriate document for it that allows such activities to be carried out.
- It is prohibited to give a building permit if there are no instructions on the use of land and construction on any site.
- In the case where there is a lease agreement, permission to erect any structures on this territory should be given only after the land has been surveyed. In addition, the site must be entered into the appropriate register.
Permission to erect any structures is determined by several factors. For example, a permit is required for the construction of any apartment buildings, as well as objects that will subsequently serve the bowels of the earth.
In addition, this list includes hydraulic structures, as well as buildings that will be located near historical buildings or any protected sites.
✅ How to check?
The best option is to know the building permit number . It will help you find out the relevance of the document issued to the developer. The structure of the number consists of four elements. The first part is the number of the subject of the Russian Federation where construction is taking place. The number "2" hides the local government identifier. The third part is the serial number in the queue, and the fourth block is the year the permitting act was issued.
Ways to check a building permit:
- Ask the developer company . Usually there are no problems - a company representative will provide you with licenses, permits and other documents of interest. If the developer has nothing to hide, they will quickly bring you up to date and dispel all doubts. Check when the permit was issued and by whom, as well as its expiration date.
- Go to the developer's website . A relevant method if a residential building is being built in another region and you don’t want to go to the office. Usually the developer has an official website where licenses, reviews, photos of finished work and useful articles are posted. Open the documents section and find the construction permit for a specific facility. Check if the portal contains the Charter of the organization, a certificate of state registration of the company, registration with the Tax Service, as well as an extract from the register of legal entities (USRLE). If there are no documents, ask the developer’s representatives about them.
- Check the register of problematic developers . Dishonest companies are included in the list, where they remain until the violations are eliminated. Go to the website https://nash.dom.rf, then “Services” - “Catalog of new buildings” and “List of problematic objects”. Residents of the Moscow region can find out the details on the website of the Main Directorate of Gosstroynadzor for the Moscow Region in the “Activities” section - “Register of problematic or blocked developers.”
- Contact the local government body (administration) . If you know the building permit number, can you find out whether it was issued by the authority and when it expires?
Be sure to check building permits and licenses. Conscientious developers immediately provide them to potential clients. If the company avoids answering or refuses, you should know that these are scammers.
✅ Where can I look up the number?
Searching by number allows you to track the relevance of the issued building permit. The Ministry of Construction and other bodies maintain a special register. Valid permits for the construction of houses with specific addresses are entered there.
Let's see where we can find information.
