I am a firm believer in Home Inspections, the Buyers Right to have a Home inspection and the value of a Good Knowledgeable Home Inspector. It is the Buyers right to choose their own Home Inspector.

However most home buyers do not know that currently in Ontario, anyone can call themselves a home inspector. This could pose a problem for Buyers who might base their decision to buy or sell a home on information they receive from an unregulated, unlicensed home inspector.

Home inspectors play an important role in the home buying and selling process. Professionals with this much influence should be licensed and have proper training to ensure consumers receive a consistent and standardized service.

The Ontario Real Estate Association is working with the Ministry of Consumer Services to improve consumer protection in the real estate marketplace by encouraging efforts to regulate the home inspection industry. In August 2013, a volunteer panel of experts reviewed home inspector qualifications in Ontario. The panel, comprised of members from home inspection associations, consumer advocates and real estate industry representatives, developed a report with 35 recommendations for the home inspection industry.

One of the main recommendations was to establish parameters for licensing the industry. Regulating the industry will help ensure homebuyers and sellers receive reliable, informative and professional advice when making one of the largest decisions of their lives.

It will take time for the Ministry to review the recommendations of the panel and decide if and how to bring forward legislation to establish qualifications for Home inspectors.

In the meantime, please ask your Trusted Realtor to suggest a few Home Inspectors that they have worked with in the past, and have been satisfied with their level of service and knowledge as well as their ability to communicate well any issues that may arise during the inspection of the home to the Buyers.