Easier solution to maintenance disputes of high-rise dwellings soon
NST 28/11/2006 by Deborah Loh

PUTRAJAYA: Every state will soon have at least one Commissioner of Buildings (COB) to handle disputes about the management services of high-rise dwellings.

The intermediary will be appointed by the state government to handle the disputes between consumers and developers.

This is one of the main thrusts of a new law, the Common Properties Management Act, which will be tabled in Parliament next month or at its next sitting.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the COB should put an end to housebuyers’ complaints about building maintenance during the interim period between vacant possession and issuance of the strata title.

A developer manages a property until the residents form a building management committee upon receiving their strata titles.

“It has been found that project maintenance during this interim period has raised problems. The commissioner will be empowered to handle such problems,” Najib said after chairing a meeting of the National Council on Local Governments today.