The NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council) is a regulatory body within the home building industry, established in 1998 under the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, 1998 (Act No. 95 of 1998).
The NHBRC’s mandate is to protect housing consumers against unscrupulous home builders who:
Deliver substandard houses
Provide poor workmanship
Use inferior quality materials
All individuals or entities involved in home building are required by law to register each home with the NHBRC. Failure to do so constitutes a criminal offence. The Act also requires that all new homes be enrolled with the NHBRC at least 15 days before the commencement of construction.
Enrolling a home with the NHBRC protects homeowners against substandard building practices. NHBRC building quality inspectors monitor construction to ensure homes are not exposed to structural failure.
If a home builder fails to register a home and commences construction without enrolment, the NHBRC may penalize the builder and require a late enrolment guarantee for work that was not inspected.
The Late Enrolment Guarantee covers all work not inspected by the NHBRC and is valid for a period of five years from the date the homeowner takes occupation. The guarantee value is based on an assessment conducted by the NHBRC and is capped at R500,000 per residential dwelling. For residential complexes with multiple units, the guarantee value may be higher.
3 Months snag list
Minor defects within 3-months from date of occupation.
1 Year roof leaks
Roof leaks within 1-year from date of occupation.
5 Year major structural defect
Major structural defects within 5-years from date of occupation.