Section 356-B:41 Upkeep of the Condominium; Warranty Against Structural Defects.


   I. Except to the extent otherwise provided by the condominium instruments, all powers and responsibilities with regard to maintenance, repair, renovation, restoration, and replacement of the condominium shall belong (a) to the unit owners' association in the case of the common areas, and (b) to the individual unit owner in the case of any unit or any part thereof.
   I-a. No unit owners' association, its agents, or its employees shall willfully enter into the unit of a unit owner without providing prior notice to the owner, other than for emergency purposes.
   I-b. No unit owner, tenant, or other person occupying a condominium unit shall willfully refuse the unit owners' association, its agents, or its employees access through a condominium unit as is necessary to enable them to exercise and discharge their respective powers and responsibilities at a reasonable time after notice which is adequate under the circumstances. But to the extent that damage is inflicted on the common areas or any unit through which access is taken, the unit owner causing the same, or the unit owners' association if it caused the same, shall be liable for the prompt repair thereof.
   II. Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the declarant shall warrant or guarantee, against structural defects, each of the units for one year from the date each is conveyed, and all of the common areas for one year. The one year referred to in the preceding sentence shall begin as to each of the common areas whenever the same has been completed or if later, (a) as to any common area within any additional land or portion thereof, at the time the first unit therein is conveyed, (b) as to any common area within any convertible land or portion thereof, at the time the first unit therein is conveyed, and (c) as to any common area within any other portion of the condominium at the time the first unit therein is conveyed. For the purposes of this paragraph, no unit shall be deemed conveyed unless conveyed to a bona fide purchaser. For the purposes of this paragraph, structural defects shall be those defects in components constituting any unit or common area which reduce the stability or safety of the structure below accepted standards or restrict the normal intended use of all or part of the structure and which require repair, renovation, restoration, or replacement. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to make the declarant responsible for any items of maintenance relating to the units or common areas.

Source. 1977, 468:1. 2006, 56:1, eff. June 23, 2006.