At the moment, it seems anyone can be a home inspector. This may come as a shock to many of you, it was a shock for me. One might ask, “why might THIS profession, above others, not require some sort of licensing?”

Many have suffered the financial and emotional consequences of a home inspectors negligence or errors. Even if you were to win a lawsuit, since they don’t carry errors and liability insurance, you may not recover any money. Well, that is all about to change and the aim is to protect consumers.

The Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services formed a panel of experts to recommend changes to the home inspection industry. Some notable changes include:

• Home inspectors should be regulated and called “licensed home inspectors.”
• Licensed home inspectors will require minimum qualifications, including a written exam, field test and experience requirements.
• A centralized registry of licensed home inspectors accessible to consumers.
• A complaint and dispute resolution process for consumers.
• Mandatory errors and liability insurance.
• A delegated administrative authority, overseen by the government, to license and regulate home inspectors.

This is a fantastic step forward and good news for Realtors, home owners or those wishing to purchase a home.

Want to learn more? Call us at 1-800-367-2037 and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.