A building warrant of fitness is a statement from the owner that the specified systems in their building are maintained, inspected and working effectively.

A building warrant of fitness (BWoF) is an annual statement that states that the inspection, maintenance, and reporting procedures for the specified systems (such as sprinkler and fire alarm systems) as listed on the compliance schedule(external link) have been fully complied with during the previous 12 months. 

Building owner's responsibilities

As a building owner, you need to display your building warrant of fitness so that people using your building know that all the specified systems in the building are functional and working effectively, without any risk to their health and safety.

As a building owner you have to:

  • Engage an independent qualified person (IQP) to undertake the inspection maintenance and reporting procedures as required by the compliance schedule.
  • On each anniversary, supply Council with a building warrant of fitness stating the procedures have been complied with during the previous 12 months and attach the certificates of compliance (Form 12A) from the IQPs.
  • Display a copy of the building warrant of fitness within the public area of the building.
  • Obtain annual written reports relating to the inspection, maintenance, and reporting procedures of the compliance schedule signed by each IQP or other person who carried out 1 or more procedures and keep those reports, together with the compliance schedule, for a period of 2 years.

You may get a fine if you don't display a current building warrant of fitness.

More detailed guidance on your responsibilities relating to Managing your building warrant of fitness for buildings with specified systems(external link) is available on the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment website.

If inspection and maintenance procedures have been missed

To display a Building Warrant of Fitness (Form 12), the building owner and their agents must complete all the inspection, maintenance and reporting (IMR) procedures listed on the building's compliance schedule for the previous 12 months. If the IMR procedures have been missed, a valid Building Warrant of Fitness (Form 12) will not be able to be supplied or displayed.

See the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for guidance about the inspection and maintenance procedures(external link).

We follow MBIE's guidance and will consider the submission of a:

Renewing a building warrant of fitness

We will send you an annual reminder. The reminder letter includes information on completing the building warrant of fitness renewal form:

The owner must sign the building warrant of fitness form. A copy must be displayed in a public area of the building, another copy must be sent to the Council, with all required Form 12A certificates issued by the IQPs.

Fees

If a building consent requires a new compliance schedule, or amended compliance schedule, to be issued as a result of building work, a fixed fee is charged with the issue of the building consent.

There is a different fee for when a building owner applies for an amendment to a compliance schedule outside the building consent process.

There is also an annual administration fee for processing the building warrant of fitness. This is comprised of a base fee and an additional fee per specified system. We have also introduced a new fee for building warrants of fitness site audits following a failed audit.

Refer to the building consents fee schedule for related fees.