Greater protection for property owners against unsafe cladding

An amendment to home building laws means unsafe external wall cladding will now be classified as a major defect, giving residents longer to have it rectified.

This means anyone who buys a unit or townhouse with unsafe external cladding has the right to get repairs done by the responsible builder for up to six years.

Existing home building laws in NSW provide safeguards to owners of new properties with major defects for up to six years after construction finishes.

Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the reforms are about extending those protections to include external wall cladding.

“If cladding on a building causes or is likely to cause a threat to the safety of any occupants in the case of a fire, it is considered to be a major defect,” Mr Kean said.

“Residents who are concerned about major defects in their building should contact the builder or developer, in the first instance.”

Find out more about external wall cladding