Handover and the statutory warranty clock in Riverstone NSW

Under the Home Building Act 1989 a new home in New South Wales carries a statutory warranty of six years for major defects and two years for everything else, measured from completion. The two year window is the one that catches people, because it covers most of what a handover list contains and it closes quietly. Riverstone books us for handover work, so this is the practical advice the suburb's own evidence supports: get the list written and dated before you sign, keep the correspondence, and put anything that emerges in the first two years in writing while the window is open.

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Handover and the statutory warranty clock in Riverstone NSW: common questions

When exactly does the clock start?

At completion of the work under the contract, which for a new home is usually practical completion or the occupation certificate. Get the date in writing rather than assuming it.

How is a major defect defined?

Broadly, one affecting a major element and making the home unusable, uninhabitable or unsafe, or threatening to. Water penetration through the envelope is the category most often argued about.

Should I sign at handover if there is a list?

That is between you and your builder under your contract. What we can say is that your leverage is strongest before you sign, which is why we recommend booking two to three weeks ahead of the date.