A former Melbourne insurance broker has been given an 18-month community-based order for providing false building warranty insurance certificates to Victorian builders.

Dennis Gentry, of Collingwood, pleaded guilty in June to two charges of issuing false certificates to builders in April 2004. The certificates were provided without the authorisation or knowledge of an eligible insurance provider.

He also pleaded guilty to two charges of dishonestly using his position as an insurance provider to obtain funds totalling $17,100 from two other companies by providing them with unauthorised certificates.

At the time of the offences Mr Gentry represented several insurance brokerages.

Last September he was banned from providing financial services for five years after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission found he had engaged in dishonest and misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to a financial product and financial service.