Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

90A: Purpose of this subpart
or “This part explains how homeowners can build and change their own houses.”

You could also call this:

“An owner-builder is someone who lives in the house they're fixing up and does the work themselves or with help from family and friends.”

In New Zealand, an owner-builder is someone who does restricted building work on their own home. You are an owner-builder if you:

Own or have a relevant interest in the land or building where the work is done
Live or plan to live in the house you’re working on
Do the work yourself or with help from unpaid friends and family
Haven’t used the owner-builder exemption for work on a different house in the last 3 years

When the law talks about living in the house, it includes staying there for a short time too.

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Next up: 90C: Meaning of relevant interest

or “Explaining what counts as having an interest in a building or land for legal purposes”

An owner-builder, in relation to restricted building work, means a natural person who—
has a relevant interest in the land or the building on which the restricted building work is carried out; and
resides, or intends to reside, in the household unit in relation to which the restricted building work is carried out; and
carries out the restricted building work himself or herself or with the assistance of his or her unpaid friends and family members; and
has not, under the owner-builder exemption, carried out restricted building work in relation to a different household unit within the previous 3 years.

Notes

Section 90B: inserted, on 13 March 2012, by section 29 of the Building Amendment Act 2012 (2012 No 23).