Legislative Requirements

Technical audits are not subject to governmental requirements, but are done in accordance with sound engineering practices to meet the requirements of the proponent(s) of the audit. A function of the audit is the description of the property and its site and building components. Good practice would dictate an inspection that considers the appearance of the property, its maintainability and economical operation and in particular, any deficiencies that are:

1. structural in nature
2. significant building code violations
3. apparent electrical code violations
4. health & safety violations, including the fire code
5. deviations from the builder's drawings or registered drawings
6. likely to lower the value of the units or the comfort of occupants in a manner that is substandard relative to reasonable expectations for such  dwellings or business units.

The auditor may require, or at least recommend, intrusive or destructive testing to uncover specific deficiencies. There could be additional cost involved in these tests as differing degrees of building component dismantling would be involved, as well as subsequent restoration work to any finished surfaces, etc.

However, where a municipality requires the audit to be provided to them, they may impose additional requirements, such as:

1. interior inspection of all units
2. detailed examination of specific building or site components
3. review of compliance with certain regulatory bodies (e.g. a conservation authority) or with particular municipal guidelines
4. a deadline for submission of the audit to the municipality.