Building Control
Ensures that your building works comply with the applicable Building Regulations.
Building Regulations
A set of standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the health and safety of the people operating in and around the building.
Builder
Also referred to as the contractor, this is the person, company or organisation who are constructing the building or scheme by putting the parts and materials together.
Defective title
A generic term to encompass when the ownership of title in property or land may be impacted by the potential for a third party to establish a right or interest in the ownership to the detriment of the property’s current owner.
Deposit
In the context of property, a deposit is the amount of money that the purchaser pays that represents a percentage of the full cost of the property they intend to buy. The bank or lender will then give a mortgage to pay the rest of the property.
Developer
A person, company or organisation that makes money by building or renovating houses or properties.
Development/Scheme/Project
This is a business process, from concept through to design and construction to sale or leasing of new or existing buildings, occasionally including the purchasing or development of the parcels of land.
Latent defect
A fault in the building or property that could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection before the sale.
Latent defect period
The legal time limit for claimable defects, which is usually the later of 6 years from the date of knowing about a defect or 3 years from the earliest date a potential claimant knew or ought reasonably to have known a material fact necessary to bring an action in negligence.
Landlord
The legal entity who rents out land, a building or a property.
Professional Consultants’ Certificate
A certificate is the minimum requirement for a mortgage lender when applying to arrange a mortgage against a property completed in the last 6 years.
Retrospective cover
Insurance that can cover works undertaken prior to taking out the insurance. It has the effect of extending back (in time) the coverage to a specified date, known as the retroactive date.
Structural defect
Generally this is defined as actual physical damage to the designed load-bearing elements of the building caused by a failure of those load-bearing elements that will affect the safety, habitable or sanitary nature of the structure. The definition varies between policies and particular attention should be taken of the specific definition in your policy.
Structural Warranty
An insurance product that covers defects in workmanship, design and materials used in the construction of a building, scheme or development. Typically the policy responds to major structural defects as opposed to snagging-related defects.
Technical audit
An important part of the risk management and issuing of the structural warranty. The technical audit is a series of checks and inspections carried out on behalf of the warranty provider/insurer to demonstrate the scheme represents an acceptable risk.
Technical manual
In addition to complying with the relevant Building Regulations and other Codes of Practice the technical manual is designed to provide the warranty provider with adequate comfort that all major risk management matters have been considered during the construction phase of the project. Compliance with the specifications within the Technical Manual is usually a prerequisite to the issuing of the structural warranty certificate.
Tenant
A person, company or organisation who occupies land or a property rented from a landlord.