A developer is defined in section 4 of the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 as any one of the following:
- the person who contracted, arranged or facilitated building work to be carried out
- the owner of the land on which a building or part of a building is erected or constructed (who was the owner when the building work was being carried out)
- the principal contractor for the building work within the meaning of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
- the developer for building work for a strata scheme within the meaning of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.
Under the Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme (SBBIS), developers of new apartment buildings must pay a building bond to Building Commission NSW.
Developer obligations
Learn about the responsibilities developers have when working on regulated buildings, including what's needed before building work starts and what's required before applying for an occupation certificate.
Lodging an expected completion notice
A developer working on regulated buildings must advise the Building Commission NSW of the date they plan to apply for an occupation certificate. Find out what is required.
Paying a building work levy
The building work levy must be paid as part of the application for an occupation certificate. Find out when the levy applies, how much it is, who pays and when, and how to make the payment.
Developer obligations under the Home Building Act
Learn about the responsibilities developers have under the Home Building Act. This is relevant for class 2 residential building work.
More resources for developers
Our audit strategy
Learn about how we audit developers, including how we choose who is audited, the types of inspections we do and the steps in the audit process before an occupation certificate is issued.
Building classes and roles of professionals
Read about which building classes are regulated in NSW, and th roles of professionals who work on regulated buildings.
Strata Building Bond and Inspections Scheme
The scheme requires developers to lodge a building bond with the Secretary before an application is made for an occupation certificate for new apartment building work. Developers pay a percentage of the contract price, which secures funds to pay for the rectification of defective building work, if required.