Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa October/ November 2019 | Page 23

The certificate is required where:
There is a change in ownership of a property after 1
October 2012 at which property there is an electric
fence; or
There was no change of ownership but there has
been an alteration or modification to an electric
fence after 1 October 2012, even if it was installed
before 1 October 2012.
There is no mention in the legislation of the certificate being
valid for a fixed time period once issued (unlike electrical
certificates) and once obtained it can be transferred from one
owner to the next.
4
Water Installation Certificate
In 2011, the City of Cape Town Municipality passed
a new water by-law which requires that, all sellers
of properties within its jurisdiction must furnish a
Water Certificate (which has loosely been called a Plumbing
Certificate) to the municipality before transfer of ownership.
Note that:
This requirement is only applicable to properties that
are situated within the jurisdiction of the City of Cape
Town Municipality.
The certificate is required for both freehold and
sectional title properties.
It is not a full plumbing check and fix! The
requirements of what needs to be certified in a Water
Compliance Certificate are very specific and limited.
What does the Water Installation
Certificate say?
This Certificate confirms only that:
5
Gas Certificate
Pressure Equipment Regulations were also
promulgated under the Occupational Health and
Safety Act, which brought gas appliances installed in
properties more or less in line with electrical installations.
•
•
•
The certificate may only be issued by an authorised
person registered as such with the Liquified Petroleum
Gas Safety Association of Southern Africa (LPGAS), after
he has inspected the installation and is satisfied that it is
safe, and leak free.
Gas installations for which certificates of conformity are
required would include built-in gas fires or braais, gas
stoves, hot water systems and the like.
Ordinarily in terms of the offers to purchase there will be
an obligation placed on a seller to obtain the certificate
prior to transfer for delivery to the purchaser after
transfer. As with the other certificates, it is always better
for the inspection and any remedial work to be carried
out prior to the date of occupation by the purchaser
and even earlier due to bank and bond requirements, as
mentioned before.
It is always recommended that sellers do their inspections at
the listing stage and then they will know what they are in for in
terms of repairs. In addition, although it is usually required that
the seller should provide the purchaser with the certificate by
no later than the date of transfer, it is best that the inspection
and remedial work is at least done before occupation by the
purchaser and better still even earlier, as most banks now
request a copy for purposes of clearance of the bond for
lodgement.
For help with any compliance certificates or property-
related matters, please consult Conveyancing and
Property Law attorneys at Abrahams & Gross.
The water installation conforms to the National
Building Regulations.
The property’s water meter is registering.
There are no defects that can cause water to run to
waste.
No rainwater leaks into the sewerage system.
SOURCE Abrahams & Gross
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019
21