Building Warrant of Fitness’s

If you are a building or property owner in the district, you are responsible for the safety and sanitation of the building. Systems and features such as fire alarms, lifts and air-conditioning require ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Where a Compliance Schedule (an inventory of a building’s specified systems) has been issued for a building by Council, the building owner must provide a Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) annually to verify that these systems are in working order. MDC carries out audits on a random selection of commercial premises to ensure that these BWoFs are current and correct.

Of the last 22 audits that have been completed, only 3 passed, with 1 not even having a current BWoF.

This causes a number of concerns particularly in an emergency if the fire escape routes are blocked, you have incorrect keys to doors that do not unlock, or have fire alarms that do not work because they have never been tested.

Having no inspection records or worseno BWoF could be detrimental to your business in the event of an emergency.

As a building owner it is important to become aware of your responsibilities and accountabilities if members of the public get caught on your premises should an emergency occur.

If you have any questions about BWoFs please contact Council on 06 323 0000 or visit our website www.mdc.govt.nz