The Practice of Defect Liability Period in the Real Estate Industry in Ghana

Abstract

A study on the dynamics of the defect liability period (DLP) in Ghana is lacking, notwithstanding the fact that it is a common practice in the real estate industry. This study examines the practice of the DLP in Ghana's real estate industry. The study adopts a combination of simple random and stratified sampling techniques to select 29 members of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) and 58 homeowners in Accra. We employ binary and multiple linear regression models to analyze the data gathered from the study respondents. Findings revealed that the DLP in Accra ranges from 6 to 24 months for defects to fittings and fixtures as well as to the structure. While private developers are divided on the adequacy of the DLP, homeowners believe that it is inadequate. Private developers suggest a longer DLP for the structure than for fittings and fixtures, whereas homeowners suggested longer DLP for both structure and fittings and fixtures. The implication of the findings is that longer DLP could be a strategy for attracting prospective homeowners. It is recommended, among others, that GREDA develop a manual to standardize the practice of the DLP in Ghana.

Pursuing PhD by publication in geography: a collaborative autoethnography of two African doctoral researchers

“…As the research work progressed, we sharpened our scholarly writing skill by co-authoring articles outside of our PhD works. Through such external collaborations, the first author successfully published in Geojournal and Sage Open (See Asante & Sasu, 2018;Asante et al, , 2017 while the second author also published in geography journals such as Climate Services, Land and Cities (See Ahmed et al, 2020;Naab et al, 2019;Salifu et al, 2019). Thus, collaborations outside one's PhD study plays a significant role in one's academic development, and helps to diversify one's academic experience.…”