Buyer beware! Should sellers have to provide mandatory building inspection reports to prospective purchasers?
What if sellers don’t ‘fess up if there’s no record of council inspections? They can sell regardless!
What if a seller’s carport, garage or deck was built illegally? No selling worries!
What if a home is termite-riddled? Don’t tell!
And if sellers obtain a pre-sale building report showing heaps of problems? Don’t mention the report!
This is why “buyer beware” is the first unwritten rule of real estate in Queensland. Will it stay that way? Yes. Because Queensland’s government refuses to legally oblige home sellers to disclose material information to prospective buyers.
No matter that seven years ago the ACT Labor Government introduced reforms which (not unreasonably) require sellers, before putting a property up for sale, to give to buyers details of building approvals and inspections together with current building/pest inspection reports. The Northern Territory Labor Government is currently proposing to bring in disclosure legislation whereby sellers must (not unreasonably) give buyers swimming pool compliance certificates, flood information and reports on whether structures comply with building laws. And the New South Wales Labor Government will shortly require sellers (not unreasonably) to give buyers building/ pest inspection reports.
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