Keep in touch with OAHI:

oahi youtube channel

oahi facebook page
Or Use Our Interactive Map

Home Inspector Legislation

Published on September 11, 2016

ICYMI: Provincial Government Speech from the Throne. ***


 

OAHI reminds public Ontario government already has home inspector legislation

Mississauga, ON, Sept.10, 2016 - Despite claims that Ontario has no legislation for home inspectors, Ontario was in fact the first province in Canada to establish such legislation. The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors  (OAHI) has been regulating its members through the right to title of “Registered Home Inspector” established under Bill Pr158, Ontario Association of Home Inspectors Act, 1994. Unfortunately, membership in OAHI was left as optional in the original legislation resulting in a situation where non-members can claim to be a home inspector in Ontario without proper training. The original Bill Pr158 exceeds all the requirements of the newly proposed Bill 165 via membership in the OAHI.

“Bill 165 essentially reinvents the wheel at unnecessary expense to consumers and professional home inspectors. Simply mandating the requirement for all home inspectors to belong to a professional association that requires community college level training would achieve the primary goal of protecting consumers by establishing the baseline of knowledge that all home inspectors must have to begin inspecting homes in Ontario,” says Murray Parish, RHI and president of the OAHI.

OAHI has more than 500 members and the majority of home inspections in Ontario are performed by practitioners qualified under Bill Pr158. Much time and effort has been invested by volunteer members, hired staff and contractors over the years that we fear will only be reinvented at higher cost to consumers and practitioners. Removing support for the Registered Home Inspector (RHI) designation will penalize Ontario's most qualified practitioners and be disruptive to consumers and the real estate industry. Raising the bar for the least qualified inspectors should not be coupled with lowering the bar for Ontario's most qualified inspectors.”

“We reiterate that OAHI supports the establishment of common competency requirements for home inspectors to operate in Ontario. Licensing offers a reasonable way of permitting an individual to begin offering home inspection services to the public with the assurance of that basic competency being in place. However, it is a permit, not a designation earned through advanced training and experience. We hope to have a positive and pragmatic discussion of OAHI's ongoing role in helping to regulate home inspection professionals in Ontario,” adds Parish.

-30-

Contact:

Murray Parish, RHI

President

Ontario Association of Home Inspectors

CAHPI-ON

416-524-2768

president@oahi.com