If you’re overseeing alterations, renovations, refurbishments, or new constructions for a building, fire and safety systems will likely need to be installed or upgraded on the premises.
This is why, if the building is a commercial, industrial or communal (public use) property, the local council will be happy to hand you what is known as a compliance schedule. The guidelines outlined in this document must be adhered to, as failure to do so could lead to significant safety hazards for occupants of the building.
For Auckland properties, we can undertake inspection work required by compliance schedules. With this service, we can pave the way for you to obtain a Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) in Auckland.
How Does the BWoF Process Work?
Your compliance schedule will list ‘specified systems’ — lifesaving features such as fire alarms, lifts and emergency power systems — contained within the building.
When applying for building consent, a certificate of acceptance or a certificate for public use, you can also ask the council for a compliance schedule. No later than a year after being issued this document, you must replace it with a BWoF confirming that the schedule’s instructions have indeed been followed.
Be Wary of the Following Fines and Penalties
Under the Building Act 2004, you could — as the building’s owner — be fined up to $20,000 if you commit any of the following offences:
- Fail to obtain a compliance schedule
- Fail to provide the council with a BWoF
- Fail to display a BWoF as and when required
- Display a false or misleading BWoF
- Display a BWoF in a manner not permitted by the Building Act’s section 108
The council would also be able to instantly fine you an amount in the region of $250 to $1,000 for any of these BWoF or compliance schedule breaches.
If you don’t obtain a compliance schedule as per the law, you could be fined an additional $2,000 for every day you remain without this document.
If the council finds that the inspection, maintenance or reporting procedures specified in the compliance schedule are not being — or have not been — properly carried out, or the BWoF you have been given is not correct, you could be hit with a ‘notice to fix’ demanding that you rectify the matter.
You would be liable to pay a maximum fine of $200,000 for failing to resolve the non-compliance and an extra $20,000 for every day you continue the offence. Also, ignoring a notice to fix can lumber you with an instant fine of $1,000.
To learn specifics of how we could assist you with compliance schedule requirements and issue you a BWoF in Auckland, just phone us on 080 016 5362.