The number of defects in apartment buildings, and the effect they have on residents and owners, is the subject of a new study undertaken at Deakin University.

Lead researcher and senior lecturer in Deakin Business School, Dr Nicole Johnston, says the report aims to identify the types of defects that were occurring in buildings, adding that water damage was the biggest problem in apartment buildings.

The study, which was funded by the PICA Group, also assesses the regulatory environment to see how defects are managed and rectified.

Nicole analysed 212 building defect reports as part of the study and found that, of the 3,227 defects analysed, those relating to building fabric and cladding were the most prevalent, followed by fire protection, waterproofing, roof and rainwater disposal, and structural issues.

Of the defects related to building fabric and cladding, one-third of those were a consequence of water penetration or moisture, suggesting that water issues may have a greater impact than originally.

Nicole says, however, that the number of fire safety reports is also alarming.

“Fire is a direct threat to life and fire safety measures installed need to be independently checked and verified to ensure compliance.”

Industry stakeholders, apartment owners and residents were also interviewed for the project and, from their perspective, water penetration and fire protection were the most commonly cited problems.

A number of concerns were also raised about the relation between the National Construction Code and the Australian Standards, and the need for consistency in the industry.

“The focus on minimum standards instead of best practice in the National Construction Code was also raised as a concern, as well as the private certification system, where community expectations were seen to be out of step with legal requirements.”

Nicole said that many industry representatives suggested that human error was a factor in the building defects, saying that the misuse of building products, lack of training, and lack of licensing were all common contributing factors.

But Nicole said the effects on owners and residents were most concerning, from health and financial perspectives.

Mould was cited as a problem that posed a considerable risk to people’s health, and it was suggested that there was a lack of care from tradies in properly managing the issue.

There were also financial pressures.

“The type of defects we commonly observed require invasive and often costly remedial works to rectify, particularly for waterproofing and fire separation failures. The financial burden place on lot owners when builders fail to rectify building defects can lead to a number of psychological health impacts, particularly stress related, and for some are financially ruining.”

Nicole said it should be reasonable to expect homes to be constructed in a manner that, at the very least, is safe, stable, sheltered and fit for purpose. But, she said, new residential buildings in Australia seem to be plagued with defects and it is the tenants who suffer the impacts.

“Building defects are considered inevitable by the building industry, so it is essential to gain a better understanding of the nature of defects in residential multi-owned properties in order to respond effectively. Government intervention that starts with in-depth stakeholder and end-user consultation is urgently required in order to stem the flow of these defects.”