What is a Building Warrant of Fitness?

A Building Warrant of Fitness is a building owner's annual statement confirming the building is safe and healthy for people to enter, occupy or use.

Specified systems are safety systems of a building. These could be sprinkler systems, lifts, fire alarm systems, ventilation systems. These specified systems are listed on the compliance schedule for their building. The BWoF is the way of ensuring these systems have been maintained and checked in accordance with the compliance schedule for the previous 12 months.

A compliance schedule is issued by the BCA or the TA. It states the specified systems within a building, their performance standards and the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures to be followed.

It is the responsibility of the building owner to supply Council each year a BWoF on the anniversary of when their original compliance schedule was issued. A building owner can appoint an IQP to manage this task for them but it still remains the owner’s responsibility to make sure Council receives the documentation.

A BWoF must be displayed in an area of the building where it can be seen by all building users.

What documents should I keep regarding the BWoF?

You are legally required to obtain written reports relating to the inspection, maintenance and reporting procedures of the compliance schedule which must be signed by the independent qualified person, who has carried out any of the listed procedures, (inspection, maintenance or reporting). These reports are issued on a Form 12A.

The number of Form 12As required to be obtained will depend on the number of specified systems in the building and the number of IQPs required to carry out the procedures.

You are required to keep all reports (certificates) together with the compliance schedule for a period of two years and produce those reports for inspection when required.

In some instances, there are maintenance requirements that the property owner or manager may complete. In this case, you must ensure that you keep a register of completing these maintenance items as they occur and as specified by your compliance schedule.

What is an Independent Qualified Person (IQP)?

An IQP is a person who is qualified to carry out any performance inspection, maintenance, reporting or recommendation on a specified system.

Southland District Council, along with all other BCAs in the South Island, uses a communal IQP list which is maintained by the Timaru City Council, on their website.

All IQPs are required to be included on the IQP list if the documentation is to be accepted with BWoF renewals.