Breyne Law and ten-year liability: how they articulate
The Breyne Law and ten-year liability cover different risks — but articulate tightly. Understanding both means securing your purchase over time.
1. The Breyne Law: protection at the time of purchase
The Breyne Law protects the buyer before and during the purchase: mandatory clauses, 5% security deposit, completion guarantee, two-step reception. See Breyne Law explanation.
It extinguishes at final reception (1 year after the provisional).
2. Ten-year liability: 10-year protection
The ten-year liability (Article 1792 of the Civil Code) covers the builder (contractor, architect, developer) for 10 years from provisional reception for:
- Defects compromising the solidity of the building.
- Defects rendering the property unfit for its purpose.
It is the major post-reception warranty. See ten-year liability for detail.
3. Practical articulation
| Period | Active warranty |
|---|---|
| Before signing | Breyne Law (Art. 7) |
| During site | Completion guarantee (Breyne Law) |
| Provisional → final reception | Security deposit (Breyne Law) |
| 0 to 1 year post-reception | Perfect completion |
| 0 to 2 years | Two-year (equipment) |
| 0 to 10 years | Ten-year (shell) |
4. Cumulation possible
You can cumulate: activate the security deposit for unlifted reservations AND pursue under ten-year liability for a serious defect discovered within 10 years. See hidden defects for the approach.
Our defects expertise qualifies each claim and orients you to the right warranty.