Deciding where you want to live in your retirement can be daunting. No one knows what the future holds - you need to take into account various situations may arise but also realise you cannot control every possibility. Housing needs change with time. You may be considering changes to your housing...
The following information is also available as part of the Seniors housing guide - contracts and agreements fact sheet. Family agreements A family agreement is an arrangement made between an older person and another party, usually family, friends or carers. The older person agrees to sell or...
Whether building, buying, renting, moving to a retirement village, purchasing services or refinancing, you are likely to be entering into a legal contract between yourself and another party. The following information is also available as part of the Seniors housing guide - Contracts and agreements...
Home ownership may not suit everyone's budget or lifestyle so it may be worthwhile considering the alternatives: Boarding and Lodging If you are a boarder, you pay rent to stay at another person's property and meals are usually provided. Lodgers pay rent to stay at another person's property, but...
Information on government financial assistance for first home buyers A grant from the Home Buyers Assistance Account reimburses some of the incidental expenses incurred when purchasing a first home in Western Australia, provided the applicants meet all criteria. Eligible applicants receive a grant...
Under a rent-to-buy scheme, the seller makes a rental agreement with the buyer at an above market rent rate. The buyer may only exercise the ‘option to buy’ at the end of the rental period if they can get the finance to pay the balance of the agreed purchase price and have complied with the terms...
Ending a tenancy by mutual agreement If both the landlord and tenant agree, in writing, the tenancy agreement should end on a specified date, this is also acceptable and none of the more formal procedures (such as issuing notices) need apply. It’s important to ensure both parties sign a clear,...
A copy of the information below can be found in our publication Buying off the plan Buying “off-the-plan” can mean many things but generally involves signing a contract with a developer before the developer has obtained final approval to subdivide land that is being purchased or, in the case of a...
Becoming an owner-builder To become an owner-builder, you must first obtain owner-builder approval from the Building Services Board, and then a building permit from your local government. The process and related form to become an owner-builder was amended in March 2023 to streamline determination...
A 25-year-old Cloverdale man has been fined $3,000 and had his painting registrations cancelled because they were granted based on incorrect or misleading information, including falsified references. Building and Energy commenced disciplinary proceedings against Anwar Hussaini under WA’s building registration laws. The matter concluded at the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) in December 2019...
An Osborne Park building company has been fined for failing to manage and supervise excavation work that caused part of a neighbour’s garage to collapse in Leederville. Danmar Homes Pty Ltd (BC9032) and the company’s nominated supervisor, Robert George Williams (BP7911), were each fined $5,000 by the Building Services Board. Danmar Homes started work on the $2 million apartment development in...
As WA settles in for a season of Christmas lights, barbecues, new outdoor equipment and DIY projects, Building and Energy is sharing its top tips for a safe summer when using gas, electricity, roof spaces and items attached to building structures. Festive lights Building and Energy A/Executive Director Saj Abdoolakhan is encouraging people to ensure their interior and exterior festive lights are...
Message from Building and Energy A/Executive Director, Saj Abdoolakhan *Please note that due to the current Covid-19 pandemic the date for responding to the CRIS has been extended to 30 June 2020 Building and Energy is inviting Western Australians to share their views on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the commercial building approval...
Electrical safety inspectors from Building and Energy are investigating an electric shock incident that resulted in the tragic death of a 50-year-old man last night. Emergency services and Western Power also responded to the incident, which occurred at the man’s home in The Vines at approximately 6.30pm yesterday (Monday 9 December 2019) . The man was found unresponsive near an outdoor spa pool...
A former building company director has been fined $40,000 in the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for hiring a group of men to threaten and intimidate five clients in Perth’s western suburbs. Talbot James Le Page was also ordered to pay $2,000 in costs and declared ineligible to be an officer of a building contractor for the maximum period of three years. The SAT also ordered cancellation of...
Our offices will be closed from Wednesday 25 December 2019 to Wednesday 1 January 2020. Normal services will return on Thursday 2 January 2020. For urgent enquiries please visit our contact page.
A mum whose 15-month-old drowned in an unfenced backyard pool has joined Consumer Protection and Royal Life Saving Society WA to launch a start-of-summer pool safety campaign. Royal Life Saving WA CEO, Peter Leaversuch, says the latest National Drowning Report has some tragic statistics: “Last year, there were 16 child drowning deaths and over 200 non-fatal drowning incidents recorded in swimming...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Did you know that currently when you build a home in Western Australia, such as a one or two storey house, there are no mandatory inspections during, or at the end of, construction? In a recent social media survey run on Consumer Protection’s Facebook page, 55% of respondents wrongly thought local government WAS required to carry out...
The Building Services Board has fined a Mount Pleasant building practitioner and his company $6,000 in total for starting construction of a two-storey house in Doubleview without the required home indemnity insurance (HII) or building permit. Compass Building Pty Ltd (BC33514, expired) was fined $3,500 for negligence under WA’s building registration laws. The company’s director and nominated...