You would be wise not to treat your BWOF Rotorua compliance as a formality to file away and forget. To do so is an error of some magnitude. The truth is, that piece of paper is what entitles your building to operate under the law; it does far more than just make you look the part from the street.
What constitutes a BWOF?
Some will tell you a Building Warrant of Fitness is nothing more than a matter of having fire extinguishers on the wall. Do not be taken in by that. We are talking about the systems that matter: sprinklers, backflow prevention, lifts if you have them, emergency lighting and alarms. A failure in any one of those and the warrant is effectively void.
Then there is the Council, who has little tolerance for those who miss their renewal date. Penalties add up quickly. We have had our share of owners who found out about this at the hands of a buyer’s lawyer during a sale, being put on the spot with questions they could not answer.
You can’t take annual checks for granted
Everything has its time. Batteries fail and, in this town with all the geothermal minerals in the air, you can expect your sprinkler heads to corrode. An inspection every year is to head off such problems before an inspector shows up on a Monday and shuts down your building.
The Independent Qualified Persons putting their name to these systems are not rubber stamping anything. Their opinion is final. Be too laid back about it and you will regret it when the time is least convenient.
When non-compliance comes due
Getting it wrong costs you more than a fine. If something goes wrong and your warrant is not current, your insurer will deny the claim without hesitation. You have been good with your premiums for years only to discover the policy is worthless on paper. That is a nightmare you do not plan for in your budget.
Some property managers with a few buildings in the area will simply hand over the tracking to avoid the risk of a single missed date in the portfolio marring their work.
Buyers these days want to see your BWOF status before they put pen to paper on an offer. A lapsed one will spook them and make for a long negotiation. Keeping it up to date may not be the most exciting part of the job, but it is what keeps the deal and the building standing.