If you’re selling a home or property in the ACT, it’s mandatory to have a compliance report completed before listing on the market (under the Planning and Development Act 2007). Your compliance report, other pre-sale mandatory reports and your sales contract must be ready to go before you begin marketing.
These reports compare the building files held by the ACT Government against what is on the actual property to determine whether all structures and elements comply and are approved, exempted or unapproved.
Compliance reports let sellers know in advance if they could face problems during the sales process. They also protect buyers from getting stuck with structures or uses, such as a garage that has been converted to an office or a granny flat, that have not been approved. Compliance reports also protect buyers in another way –unapproved structures may not be covered by home and contents insurance.
In this article, we’ll outline the qualities to consider when choosing a compliance inspection company, and share where to find the best in Canberra
What makes a great compliance report inspection company?
As a seller, you’ll want a licensed, insured and experienced property inspection company to inspect and prepare your report, so no compliance issues pop up during your sale. A compliance report gives buyers confidence that they understand the status of all structures and elements.
It can be helpful to keep the following in mind when choosing a property inspection company that handles compliance reports.
- Licensed and certified. Not all building inspectors are registered builders. You’ll want to check this out because a licensed and certified professional is a better bet for conducting a compliance inspection and writing your compliance report. Ask if your inspection company is licensed and insured as a building assessor in the ACT.
- Professional memberships. Reputable property inspection companies belong to industry bodies such as the Master Builders Association and/or Housing Industry Association.
- Insured. You’ll want a property inspection company that holds proper insurance, in case anything goes wrong during the compliance inspection. By law, every inspector must have professional indemnity insurance (and provide a copy of the policy certificate with their reports).
- Experienced. You’ll want an experienced inspector who won’t skip over compliance issues, which could delay a sale, and one who works efficiently.
- Ethical and transparent. The aim of a compliance report is to be accurate and transparent, so you’ll want an inspector who is ethical and honest, not one who tries to cover up issues just to make the seller and/or your real estate agent happy.
The best compliance report inspection companies in Canberra
RiotACT’s editorial team has combed through 20 years of on-site comments to compile a list of the most recommended businesses according to you.
To be listed in our Best of Canberra series, each business needs to have consistently received positive feedback on RiotACT and Facebook as well as maintaining a minimum average of 4/5 stars on Google.
Surety Property Canberra
Surety Property’s team of experts write detailed and clear compliance reports giving buyers the facts needed to buy a home or investment property. Surety’s honest and transparent reports check ACT Government approved plans against the physical property, so buyers don’t unknowingly pay for unapproved structures or alterations. Buyers rely on compliance reports to make sound financial decisions and negotiate the best price.
As Dean Crowe wrote on Google, “Great service, professional, thorough and extremely easy to deal with.”
My Canberra Building Inspections ACT
My Canberra Building Inspections ACT conducts inspections and prepares reports for buyers and sellers of properties. The owner is a Class A Builder in the ACT and has a Bachelor Degree of Architecture from the University of Western Australia. The company handles all types of property inspections and prepares authoritative, concise reports that adhere to Australian Standards. My Canberra Building Inspections ACT holds professional indemnity insurance.
Zain Safar wrote on Google, “Amazing service and honest advice! Recommended for sure.”
HomeBuyers Inspections
HomeBuyers Inspections is a one-stop-shop for pre-sale building inspections, compliance reports, pest inspection reports and energy efficiency rating reports in the Canberra region. The company focuses on helping vendors sell their properties. HomeBuyers Inspections has been delivering professional inspection services for 25 years. All documents are supplied electronically, to speed up service.
Lauren Shakespeare wrote on Google, “Fantastic service. Fitted us in promptly. Very friendly staff, very thorough, good industry knowledge. Would definitely use their services again.”
If you’re looking for more information on compliance and other mandatory pre-sale inspections in Canberra, you might like our articles on the companies that handle the best residential building inspection companies, best energy efficiency rating inspection companies, and best pest inspection companies.
Your experience with compliance report inspection companies in Canberra
Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback. If you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.
Have you had experience with any of the compliance report inspection companies listed above? If so, share your feedback in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a compliance report?
A compliance report documents structures on a property and compares them with what the ACT Government has as approved on file. Inspectors examine all building additions or changes to determine if they’ve been approved or are exempt or unapproved. They check for structures like sheds and pergolas, extensions and changes of use (such as a garage converted into an office) and record their findings in a compliance report.
I’m selling my house. Do I need a compliance report?
In the ACT you must have a compliance report before putting your house on the market. This is one of four mandatory pre-sale reports required when selling your home. The other pre-sale requirements are building inspection, pest inspection and energy efficiency rating reports. Note: units only require an energy efficiency rating report.
Can I write my own compliance report?
No you can’t. This mandatory report needs to be completed by a building inspection company and preferably one that is licensed and insured and a member of a professional body.
How much does a compliance report cost?
This varies company by company so ask for a written quote. Some professional inspection companies offer a discount if you bundle all of your mandatory pre-sale reports with them, so check this out.
How do I go about getting a compliance report?
You have to engage a property inspection company that handles compliance reports. Often, that company will get your approval to access your building file from the ACT Government. Once they’ve reviewed the building file, the inspector visits your property and checks if the structures, elements and alterations they find comply with the official files and are approved, exempt or unapproved. After the inspection, they document their findings in a report and typically email it to you.
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