Introduction to Stage 5 of the Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme

Stage 5 of the Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme requires that the building inspector go back out to site to carry out a final inspection and report. This is to determine whether the defective building work identified in the interim report has been rectified.

This must be carried out within 21 to 24 months following the date of the Occupation Certificate.

A few things about the inspections:

1. Access: It is a requirement that the owners corporation must provide reasonable access and not obstruct or hinder the building inspector.
2. Inspection type: The inspection is a visual inspection and does not involve destructive testing.

A few things about the report:

1. Outstanding defects: The report must document any defects that were not rectified and any defective building work arising from the rectification work identified in the interim report.
2. How to rectify outstanding defects: The report must then specify how to rectify the remaining work in order of priority.

There are basically 2 outcomes of this exercise:

1. Defective work identified: The cost to rectify must be determined. This will be explained in Stage 6.
2. NO defective work identified: The building bond is released in full. This will be explained in Stage 7.