What does the RHI title mean on an Ottawa inspector's card?

RHI stands for Registered Home Inspector, a designation granted by the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI), a not-for-profit membership association incorporated under a private Act in 1994. It is a voluntary membership title, not a licence to practise home inspection in Ontario.

Ontario passed a Home Inspection Act in 2017, but it has not been brought into force, so there is no provincial licence today. Ontario.ca says that "at this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors." The RHI title tells you the inspector has met OAHI's own membership requirements, but OAHI is not a regulator and the RHI is not a government credential.

When you see RHI on a card, here is what it is worth knowing:

• The designation is voluntary. An inspector without it may have equivalent or more experience; an inspector with it has met OAHI's internal criteria.
• OAHI is a private association, not the province, and the RHI is not a provincial licence.
• The federal Office of Consumer Affairs says to "check if the home inspector has professional liability insurance" and notes that "not all provinces and territories require inspectors to have insurance coverage." A designation is not proof of coverage.

Ontario.ca advises asking any inspector: do you have insurance, may I see accreditation that shows your training and experience, and can you provide references? The Office of Consumer Affairs adds: ask for a sample report and a written contract listing the items to be inspected, the report deadline, and the total cost before work begins. Those questions apply whether the inspector holds an RHI or not.

The most useful thing to ask an inspector whose card shows RHI, before you book, is what their membership requires and whether they carry professional liability insurance, and then to ask for both the membership details and the insurance information in writing.