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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Building Act 2004

Consumer rights and remedies in relation to residential building work - Information and documentation to be provided on completion of residential building contract

362T: Building contractor must provide prescribed information and documentation on completion of residential building work

You could also call this:

“When builders finish house work, they must give important papers to the homeowner and sometimes the local council.”

When a building contractor finishes work on your home, they need to give you and the local council some important information. This information is set out in the building regulations. The contractor must provide this information in writing as soon as they can after finishing the work.

The regulations might ask the contractor to give different information to you and to the council. This helps make sure everyone has the details they need.

If the contractor doesn’t give you and the council this information, they are breaking the law. They could be fined up to $2,000 for not following this rule.

Remember, it’s the contractor’s job to give you this information. You don’t need to ask for it - they should provide it automatically when they finish working on your home.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6371148.

Topics:
Housing and property > Home safety and repairs
Government and voting > Local councils
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362S: Exclusion of liability for event not attributable to fault of building contractor or on-seller, or

“Builders are not responsible for problems they didn't cause after finishing the work”

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362U: Purpose of regulations under section 362T(2), or

“These rules make sure homeowners know who built their house and how to take care of it.”

Part 4A Consumer rights and remedies in relation to residential building work
Information and documentation to be provided on completion of residential building contract

362TBuilding contractor must provide prescribed information and documentation on completion of residential building work

  1. This section applies where a building contractor has carried out building work under a residential building contract.

  2. As soon as practicable after completion of the building work, the building contractor must provide in writing the information and documentation prescribed by regulations made under this Act to the following persons:

  3. the client; and
    1. the relevant territorial authority (if any).

      1. The regulations referred to in subsection (2) may prescribe different information and documentation to be provided to the client and the relevant territorial authority.

      2. A person who contravenes subsection (2) commits an infringement offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

      Notes
      • Section 362T: inserted, on , by section 56 of the Building Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 100).
      • Section 362T(2)(b): amended, on , by section 82 of the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 21).