Home buyer / owner

Topics

Pre-settlement inspections

Unless the contract makes specific provision, properties are sold in reasonably the same state as when first inspected. So it is essential to conduct a thorough physical inspection of the property prior to the settlement being finalised. Once you have inspected the property, if you want changes to...
Buying a property
08 Apr 2014

Professional building inspections

When signing a contract of sale, it is recommended you make one of your conditions subject to a building inspection that is satisfactory to you. As the buyer, you will be responsible for contracting and paying for a suitably qualified building inspector, surveyor or architect to provide a...
Buying a property
08 Apr 2014

Property inspection checklist

Handy checklist to help you compare properties, to use at a pre-settlement inspection or before you accept the keys / take full ownership of the property. A pest inspection could save you thousands of dollars in repair costs. For more information visit our pages on pest control . Property...
Buying a property
08 Apr 2014

Selling property

All Australian businesses must comply with the Australian Consumer Law. This law also applies to the property industry. Consumer guarantees on goods and services Unconscionable conduct Unfair contract laws False or misleading representations Misleading or deceptive conduct What we do: Provide...
Selling property
07 Apr 2014

Buying an existing home

If you are buying an established property to renovate, ask an architect, draftsperson or builder to report on the kind of work possible, some ideas may look good on paper but not be structurally sound. Even if you do not intend to renovate, a building inspection before you buy can identify repairs...
Buying a property
06 Apr 2014

Planning to buy a property

Buying a property is a major investment. Getting your first home can be both exciting and stressful. It is a major decision that takes planning and research, and careful budgeting. Know what you want and can afford Make a list of: your preferred areas essential features your wish list of non-...
Buying a property
06 Apr 2014

Rent bidding, applications and option fees

Rent bidding Landlords and their agents are prohibited from asking or pressuring prospective tenants to pay more than the advertised rental amount to secure the tenancy, known as “rent bidding”. Landlords or their agents: must advertise or list the rental property for a rent at a fixed amount and...
Beginning a tenancy
29 Mar 2014

Unenclosed joints in insulated cables

During the 1970s and early 80s, joints in electrical cables in ceiling spaces of dwellings and buildings were often wrapped only in insulating tape. The insulating tape has dried out over time and may have fallen away, leaving the exposed ends of the cables. This is a serious risk to persons...
Electrical installations
27 Mar 2014

Use a licensed electrical contractor

Having electrical work done? Make sure you use a licensed electrical contractor whenever you have electrical work done. Having electrical work done brochure Don't D-I-Y (do it yourself) electrical work Doing your own electrical work or employing an unlicensed person to do it for you, is very...
Electrical installations
27 Mar 2014

Real estate contracts - sale by offer and acceptance

Most properties in Western Australia are sold through an offer and acceptance process. A person makes a formal offer in writing to buy a property, and the seller, sometimes called the vendor, can either make a counter offer, reject the offer, or accept it and communicate that acceptance to the...
Property contracts (offer and acceptance)
21 Mar 2014

Pages

Publications

Owner-builder application package

READ
Guidelines for applying for owner-builder approval from the Building Services Board.
Building and Energy
Form – application
14 Aug 2019

Real estate fees - Negotiating with an agent

READ
Real Estate Fees Negotiating with an Agent
Consumer Protection
Brochure
27 May 2014

Home buyers assistance account application form

READ
A grant from the Home Buyers Assistance Account reimburses some of the incidental expenses incurred in connection with the purchase of a first home in Western Australia. Eligible applicants receive a...
Consumer Protection
Form – application
17 Mar 2022

Property settlement fact sheet

READ
Property settlement is the finalisation of a real estate transaction between a buyer and a seller. This fact sheet outlines the process of property settlement and the general conditions that usually...
Consumer Protection
Guide / handbook
27 May 2014

Renting out your property - a lessor’s guide

READ
Please note: This publication is under review with content updates to be provided as a result of the rent reforms. This will affect content on rent bidding, retaliatory action, rent Increases, pet...
Consumer Protection
Guide / handbook
16 Jul 2024

Smart choice - a consumer guide for Western Australians 55+

Consumer Protection can provide information on a variety of topics including tenancy, consumer rights, fair trading, buying and selling property, scams, licences and registrations and running a not-...
Consumer Protection
Guide / handbook
13 Dec 2023

Residential parks property condition report: on-site agreement

READ
Property condition report for Residential Parks on-site agreement Includes table / checklist for: Walls/ceilings Doors/windows Blinds/curtains Lights Floors Appliances Taps/sinks
Consumer Protection
Form – agreement
30 Jan 2022

Using gas barbecues and patio heaters safely

READ
This brochure is designed to advise builders, gas fitters and consumers where gas-fired barbecues and patio heaters may be installed and used safely. This information does not take precedence over...
Building and Energy
Brochure
14 Aug 2019

Having electrical work done?

READ
Make sure you use a licensed electrical contractor whenever you have electrical work done. Is your electrical contractor licensed? In Western Australia, the law requires that all electrical work is...
Building and Energy
Brochure
30 Jul 2019

LP Gas cylinder safety in bushfire prone areas

READ
Guidelines for the storage of LP Gas cylinders on properties in bushfire prone areas.
Building and Energy
Brochure
19 Jul 2019

Pages

Announcements

Non-compliant building work costs supervisor – Christopher John Joseph Brereton

The supervisor of a house construction in Shelley has been fined $5,000 after several areas, including the roof and ceiling, failed to comply with approved plans or building standards. The Building Services Board found that Christopher John Joseph Brereton (BP102223) breached WA’s building registration laws by failing to properly manage and supervise a building service. Mr Brereton was a co-...
Building and Energy
Media release
12 Nov 2020

Asbestos Awareness Week 2020

Asbestos Awareness Week 2020 runs from 23-29 November 2020. Please take this opportunity to ensure your workplace asbestos management systems are up to date, and that workers are aware of these systems. And remember – buildings built before 1990 are likely to contain materials with asbestos content. Follow the links for more information: Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency Industry...
WorkSafe
Event
06 Nov 2020

National Water Week: Are your plumbing products certified and safe?

WA’s plumbing regulator has issued a reminder that taps, toilets, showerheads and most other plumbing products must have WaterMark certification to show they have passed safety and quality checks to meet specific Australian standards. As National Water Week (19-25 October) gets underway, Building and Energy is joining with the Australian Building Codes Board to highlight the national WaterMark...
Building and Energy
Media release
19 Oct 2020

Owner-builder ignores order to fix defects – Jonathon Robert Reardon

A Perth owner-builder has been ordered to pay $6,000 in fines and costs after failing to fix several building issues affecting the new owners of a Yanchep house. Jonathon Robert Reardon did not appear at Joondalup Magistrates Court on 1 October 2020 when he was convicted of breaching WA’s building laws by not complying with a Building Commissioner’s order. The court was told that in 2013 Mr...
Building and Energy
Media release
13 Oct 2020

Commissioner's blog: Short term rentals – look before you lease

If you’ve got a spare room or investment property, you may be considering advertising the space for short-term renting to make some extra money. Or perhaps you’re a local travelling across WA, who’s on the look-out for somewhere to stay that’s different to what’s on offer from traditional accommodation providers. Whatever your motivation, it’s clear that Western Australia’s short-term rental...
Consumer Protection
Media release
17 Sep 2020

Electrician’s error leaves house unprotected – Anthony Michael Kiely

A Caversham electrician has been fined $10,300 after he failed to install an essential safety system at a Cloverdale house, which could have resulted in electrocution of the occupants. At Perth Magistrates Court, Anthony Michael Kiely (EW133300, EC10793) was also ordered to pay $535 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching WA’s electricity licensing regulations, following a prosecution by...
Building and Energy
Media release
27 Aug 2020

Unregistered painter’s brush with the law – Christopher Robert Larden

An Innaloo tradesman has been fined $1,500 and ordered to pay almost $600 in costs after he falsely presented as a registered painter and carried out painting work that requires registration. Christopher Robert Larden did not appear at Armadale Magistrates Court on 4 August 2020 when he was sentenced for breaching WA’s building registration laws, which stipulate that only a registered painting...
Building and Energy
Media release
19 Aug 2020

South West builder on notice for work without permit – Matthew Dean Jansen

A Bridgetown builder has been formally cautioned for negligent conduct after he carried out work without a building permit. The Building Services Board found Matthew Dean Jansen (BC101487, BP101779) breached WA’s building registration laws during a home construction project in Bridgetown, which he took over in April 2019 after the original builder went into liquidation. Mr Jansen started work at...
Building and Energy
Media release
06 Aug 2020

Northern suburbs builder cautioned over contract – Dwayne Alcock

The Building Services Board has issued a formal caution to a Mullaloo builder after his partner’s business entered into a contract to do a $300,000 commercial fit-out, but the registration and building approval documents were issued to him as an individual building contractor. In 2018, the City of Joondalup received a building permit application and a notice of completion that identified Dwayne...
Building and Energy
Media release
06 Aug 2020

Illegal appliances spark electrical safety alert and infringements

WA’s energy safety regulator is urging consumers, sellers and importers to check that household electrical equipment is approved for sale in Australia after two retail chains each received $5,000 fines for selling illegal and potentially hazardous lamps. Building and Energy issued the infringement notices after a site inspection revealed some Turkish-style lamps in the stores lacked the required...
Building and Energy
Media release
05 Aug 2020

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