Change of Use of Building

Change of Use of Building (Section 115 Building Act)

You must notify us if you're changing the use of a building – for example, changing a private home into a workplace like a day-care centre.

Every building has to meet Building Code requirements to ensure it is safe, healthy and durable when used for the purpose it was designed for. If that use changes, the building may need to be altered to meet new Building Code requirements. The Council needs to check that the new building use complies with the Building Code as far as reasonably practicable. A change in use may require upgrading of safety features and accessible facilities within the existing building, as different provisions exist for different types of buildings.

You must notify us in writing if you're changing the use of a building, even if no building work is involved or you don't need a building consent.

Notification of Change of Use form

Approval to Proceed with Building Work

Approval will depend on the Building Code requirements for the use intended and will differ from one type of use to another. You may need to provide additional information to assist Council in deciding if it will comply in its new use, or if a Building Consent will be required. In all cases, the entire building must continue to comply with the Building Code to the extent that it did before the alteration or change of use.

If you are thinking about alterations/building works that will change the use of an existing building you should talk to your local Council to see if a Building Consent (and/or Resource Consent) is required, or what is needed to comply with building provisions. This should be done at an early stage to avoid any delays.