Our guide to New Zealand building legislation covers your rights and responsibilities in relation to the Building Acts (1991 and 2004), the Building Code, and the building consent process.

In this section, we look at some of the other key legal issues you need to be aware of when building and renovating houses, including contract law, paying your builder under the Construction Contracts Act, your rights under the Fencing Act, dispute resolution, and more...

Fencing Act

Fencing your property and dealing with your neighbours. What are your rights and responsibilities and who pays?
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Contract law

Having a contract with the people you engage to build your house or do other work around your home is extremely important. Some general rules about contracts and what to do if there is a breach.
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Fair Trading Act

The Fair Trading Act may provide you with remedies if the people supplying you with goods and services mislead you or make false representations.
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Construction Contracts Act

This Act deals with payments due under construction contracts. Find out what your rights and responsibilities are and how to use the adjudication process under the Act if you have a dispute about payments.
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Consumer Guarantees Act

The Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) can provide you with some protection for the quality of goods and services you purchase when you build a house or do other work around home.
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Fencing of swimming pools

If you have a swimming pool or spa pool you are responsibile for fencing it to prevent unsupervised access.
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Health and Safety in Employment Act

We look at the legal requirements for keeping people safe on building sites and investigate the responsibilities that homeowners have under the law.
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Land titles

A Certificate of Title is evidence of your ownership in your property – it also has other important information about your rights and other people’s interests or rights in your land, for example, mortgages. Find out how to obtain one and the different types of land ownership in New Zealand.
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PIMs and LIMs

What are Project Information Memorandums and Land Information Memorandums? How do they differ? When do you need them and how do you apply for them?
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Resolving disputes

What are the options available to you for sorting our disputes if something goes wrong on your building project?
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Resource Management Act

Find out when you might need resource consent in relation to building work. Why you need to have one and how to apply for one.
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