Owners of earthquake-prone buildings

Changes to the earthquake-prone building system

Auckland, Chatham Islands and upper North Island

There are no longer any designated earthquake-prone buildings (EPBs) in Auckland, the Chatham Islands, or the upper North Island low seismic zone.

For more information about this change, including a map of the seismic zones, see:

Changes to the earthquake-prone building system

All other areas

All other areas will move to the new EPB system on 1 July 2027. This includes parts of the South Island and Stewart Island that were previously in a low seismic zone and have now moved to a medium seismic zone.

Until the remaining changes take effect on 1 July 2027, existing requirements remain in place.

Responsibilities of building owners

If a territorial authority (local council) identifies your building as a potential EPB, you must act within the required timeframes.

New EPB designations from now to July 2027

If a territorial authority notifies you before 1 July 2027 that your building may be earthquake-prone, the current rules continue to apply. This generally means you have 12 months to provide an engineering assessment, and you may apply for one extension to provide an assessment of up to 12 months. Any extension application must be made at least 2 months before the due date.

If you do not provide an engineering assessment by the due date, the territorial authority may designate your building as an EPB without further information.

From 1 July 2027, different timeframes will apply depending on the type of building and the pathway used to identify it.

Existing earthquake-prone buildings

If a territorial authority has identified your building as earthquake-prone and issued an EPB notice, you must:

• display the EPB notice as a sign on the building
• carry out required seismic work within the set timeframe so the building is no longer an EPB.

Read more about roles and responsibilities in the EPB system here:

About the earthquake-prone building system

Buildings that may be earthquake-prone

The EPB system divides New Zealand into 3 seismic risk areas. These areas determine how much time territorial authorities and building owners have to identify and manage EPBs.

To learn more about the types of buildings covered by the system, see:

How the earthquake-prone building system works.

If your building is in a high or medium seismic risk area, it may be a priority building.

Priority buildings are certain types of buildings that pose a higher risk to public safety.

If your building is a priority building, shorter timeframes apply for identifying the building and completing seismic work.

If a territorial authority identifies your building as potentially earthquake-prone and requests an engineering assessment, it will tell you whether your building is a priority building.

For more information about priority buildings and what they mean for building owners, see:

Priority buildings (high and medium seismic risk areas).

Challenging a territorial authority's decision

If you disagree with a territorial authority’s decision that your building is earthquake-prone, or with the earthquake rating, you should:

• read the guidance
• get advice from an engineer
• talk to the territorial authority

If you still disagree after taking these steps, you can apply to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for a determination. A determination is a legally binding ruling that can resolve disputes about most decisions territorial authorities make under the EPB system.

To learn more about the determination process and search a register of previous determinations, see:

Determinations.

Enforcement action

If you do not strengthen or remove your building by the deadline on the EPB notice, a territorial authority may take enforcement action. You cannot use a determination to challenge that action.

For more information about EPB infringement fees, fines and convictions, see:

Compliance and enforcement of the earthquake-prone building system.

Undertaking seismic work

If your building is designated earthquake-prone, you must complete seismic work within the timeframe shown on the EPB notice.

If you plan to make substantial alterations to an earthquake-prone building or part of a building, you must complete any required seismic work at the same time.

Work with a building professional to agree an approach that suits your building and budget.

When planning the work, consider:

• the time, money and resources you can commit to the project
• the impact the work may have on tenants.

The territorial authority can advise you about:

• consent requirements for seismic work
• ways to protect heritage values.

If the work requires part of a footpath, road or public space to be closed off, check what permits or fees the council requires.

Substantial alterations

Substantial alterations are building changes to an EPB (or part of a building) that:

• need a building consent
• have an estimated value of more than $150,000

The value of the work is accessed together with any other building work consented in the previous 2 years. If the combined value is at least 25% of the building’s value, the work may be considered substantial alterations.

A territorial authority will decide whether planned building work is considered substantial alterations when it assesses a building consent application. This decision is based on criteria set out in regulations.

Check with the council if you are planning building work and are not sure whether it meets the criteria for substantial alterations.

For more information, see:

Earthquake-prone buildings: substantial alterations [PDF 510KB].

More information

Find resources and tools to help you manage your earthquake-prone building:

Earthquake-prone buildings resources

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