The NHBRC was established through the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act, 95 of 1998, to protect the buyer of newly built or still to be built residential properties, in the event that defective materials and/or construction methods are/have been used in the building process. It was also established to maintain construction quality standards in the home building industry.

The council consists of between 7 and 15 members, appointed by the Minister of Housing. It is not a government department or organisation, although it reports to the Minister Parliament.

It is an independent, non-government, non-profit organisation, which will protect you irrespective of the contract value, purchase price or way in which your new home is funded.

NHBRC – Mission

  • To protect housing consumers by monitoring quality standards in the home building industry.
  • To provide assistance to housing consumers in circumstances where major structural defects occur and where home builders fail to meet their obligations in terms of the Act.
  • To build the capacity of the home builders through a national trainning programme, with specific emphasis on the historically disadvantaged.
  • To provide technical and management support to Provincial Housing Departments.
  • To grow and sustain the warranty reserve.
  • To educate the housing consumers and home builders about their rights and obligations.
  • To provide excellent customer care service.

NHBRC – Statement of values

  • Customer service excellence
  • Accountability, responsibility and transparency
  • Honesty, integrity, objectivity and mutual respect
  • Learning and caring organisation

NHBRC – Valuable Final Products

A Valuable Final Product (VFP) is defined as a product or service that can be exchanged for the goods and services of the organisation. In the NHBRC’s case, the following will be applicable:

  • Registration of home builders
    This is a process whereby a home builder is registered and is to meet the obligations of housing consumers in terms of the NHBRC’s requirements.

  • Enrolment of new homes
    At least 3 weeks before building starts, the builder should enrol the new home with the NHBRC, and obtain a Residential Unit Enrolment Certificate. Insist on seeing this certificate.This is a process whereby homes are enrolled with the necessary engineering input from competent persons to assist the home builders in taking the necessary precautions in foundation design.

  • De-registration of defaulting home builders
    This process is the removal from the NHBRC register of home builders who have failed to meet the obligations in terms of the Act.

  • Inspection of homes
    This is a service to the home builders to assist them to build homes with structural integrity, resulting in minimising complaints from housing consumers.

  • Handling of housing consumers’ complaints
    This is a service whereby a complaint is professionally and speedily processed on behalf of the housing consumer with clarity on the home builder’s reasonable legal and ethical obligations in relation to specific complaints made by the housing consumer.

  • Conciliation of disputes between housing consumers and home builders.
    This is professional service of conciliation, covering all relevant structural concerns of the housing consumer and clarifying the home builder’s responsibility and the housing consumer’s obligations.

  • Undertaking remedial works
    This is the repair by the home builder of structural defects found in enrolled homes or repair by the NHBRC in instances where the home builder is unable to meet their obligation.

  • Moving into your new home:
    Draw up a list of all the problems and defects, keep a copy, and hand it to the builder before you sign for the keys

Contact the NHBRC to make sure that the builder has not been deregistered.
You can contact them on:

Tel: 011 317-0000
Fax: 011 317-0105
Web: www.nhbrc.org.za
Post: PO Box 461, Randburg 2125
Address: Phase 4, Medscheme Building, 10 Muswell Road South, Bryanston.