What warranties does a builder owe me in Malta for new construction defects?

Under general principles of Maltese contract law connected to the Civil Code, Chapter 16 of the Laws of Malta, a builder or developer generally owes obligations regarding the quality and soundness of construction work, and Article 1631 specifically addresses a heightened form of liability for serious structural defects in buildings, providing for extended liability periods where a building, or a substantial part of it, is found to be defective due to a flaw in construction or the ground it was built on, reflecting the law's recognition that serious structural issues can take considerable time to become apparent after a property is first occupied. Beyond this general statutory framework, many new-build purchases also involve specific contractual warranties from the developer set out in your purchase agreement, meaning it's important to carefully review exactly what specific warranty commitments were included in your particular contract, since these can sometimes provide broader or more clearly defined protection than relying solely on general civil law principles, particularly for non-structural defects such as finishing or fixture issues that might fall outside the more serious structural liability framework. Given the genuine complexity in properly understanding both your statutory protections regarding serious structural defects and your specific contractual warranty entitlements, and given how significant new-build defects can be financially, it would be worth having a lawyer review your specific purchase contract and any defects you're experiencing to properly advise on your available remedies against the developer.