AAPI & WAPI is a Forum and Source of Information for Property Inspectors

Having been in the Construction Industry for over 40 years, Howard Ryan has seen it all, and he’s not happy with a lot of things that he sees costing property owners thousands of dollars and ruining the careers of inspectors.  As the Managing Director of Housesafe Training, a company that educates Property Inspectors, and a building inspector himself, Mr Ryan is appalled at the lack of regulation in the industry, and especially with pool safety.  Housesafe has trained over 1,800 people so far nationally and internationally, from individual inspectors to large project builders, and continues to be a respected training organization globally.

Mr Ryan has been lobbying governments for change for many years, and he refuses to stop until he sees some serious improvements in regulating property and pool inspectors.  With this in mind, he recently set up the “Australian Affiliation of Property Inspectors (AAPI)” and the “Word Affiliation of Property Inspectors (WAPI)” as both a National and International voice for property inspectors to gain a global qualification.

The vision for both AAPI and WAPI is a resource for property inspectors to log on to a forum and ask questions, share new information, network with others and keep up with industry news.

Mr Ryan says, “The Australian Affiliation of Property Inspectors is to provide a forum for property inspectors to gain global recognition, government endorsements, industry following, education and mentoring each other”.

With the deregulation of the industry in NSW in 2009, the change allowed almost anyone without an adequate understanding of the laws and regulations to start a building inspection business and this can mean a costly exercise for the uninformed property purchaser. In fact, under AS:4349.0-2007 & AS:4349.1-2007 & AS:4349.3-2010 there is currently no Australian Standard requirement for a pre-purchase pest and/or building inspector to have professional indemnity (PI) insurance in place, furthering the risk to the property owner. It’s because of these reasons; Mr Ryan continues to lobby governments for change.

Another failing of many property inspectors and building contractors is neglecting contract law. Without proper contracts and documentation many a builder and building inspector have ended up in costly court battles. AAPI and WAPI want to see more education and regulation in the industry to protect all parties concerned.

Correct report writing is another aspect that many building inspectors fail. Inspectors require a thorough understanding on how to create reports, file them according to the Australian Standards and collate all evidence, including photos and diagrams. Likewise, if the building inspection business employs staff that write reports, they too will need a thorough understanding of the laws.

With these risks of litigation being so high in property inspections, AAPI and WAPI envisage being a source of information and support for property inspectors to go to.

Anyone can join the Affiliations without charge simply by applying online. The Forum is open to property inspectors around the world who are encouraged to get involved, share information and start a conversation.

About Australian Affiliation of Property Inspectors

Founded by Howard Ryan, Managing Director of Housesafe Training and Pre Purchase Inspectors National Registery (PPI). The Australian Affiliation of Property Inspectors is to provide a forum for property inspectors to gain global recognition, government endorsements, industry following, education and mentoring each other.