Have you heard about the major changes to home building laws that commenced during the first quarter of 2015?

For example, you may know that building work contracts require a different amount of detail depending on the value of the work, but the threshold has now changed. Work valued at more than $20,000 (previously $5,000) will require an extended contract, while work below the threshold will only require a ‘minor works’ contract.

Owner-builders are also impacted by the new legislation with new rules covering who must be named on the application and restrictions to dual occupancy permits. The threshold at which you require an owner-builder permit has increased to $10,000.

You may also want to check out the updated laws regarding disputes, defects and statutory warranties. For example, rectification is now the preferred solution for disputes relating to defects and home owners cannot unreasonably refuse access to the builder.

For more information about the new legislation, please visit the NSW Fair Trading website:
www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au

Acknowledgements: Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers and GK Strata Management with respect to blog posts