Now that the courts in Victoria have confirmed that builders warranty lasts 10 years from the date of the occupancy certificate, Owner Builders need to be careful that their “little project” doesnt get them into a load of hot water.
A recent case cited by the Victorian Building Authority (see this link) highlights the scenario where owner builders often leave themselves exposed. Many owner builders never get around to getting an occupancy certificate as it’s one of those ‘admin’ tasks that doesnt seem that important at the time. In this case, the owner didnt get the occupancy certificate until 13 years after his building work was completed. This means the clock didnt start on his warranty period until 13 years after he finished - in effect he warranted the work for 23 years!
The lesson here is to make sure you cross the T’s and dot the I’s and make sure you get the CofO as soon as you can.
