What happened to Ontario's Home Inspection Act from 2017?

It is still not in force. The Home Inspection Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c. 5, Sched. 1, received Royal Assent on April 13, 2017. e-Laws carries this note on it: "THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor." 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, updated July 2026, says: "At this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors. However, there are many training programs and courses that inspectors can take." We found no proclamation, no regulation under the Act and no designated administrative authority.

If the Act is ever brought into force, it would require anyone performing a home inspection to be licensed, require a written contract that discloses any prescribed insurance, require a written report, and be run by a designated administrative authority. None of that applies now.

Until then, two voluntary things are worth knowing. The Ontario Association of Home Inspectors grants the RHI designation to qualified members; it is a membership title, not a licence. The federal Office of Consumer Affairs notes that CSA A770, a national standard for voluntary use by home inspectors, was published in 2016, and suggests asking whether an inspector will apply it.

Ontario.ca's advice for choosing an inspector in the meantime: ask for a copy of the report they use, ask about experience with your type of home, ask if they choose to have insurance, ask what training and experience they can show, ask for references, get a written contract, and get quotes from more than one inspector.

Ask any inspector you call which of those they can show you in writing before you book.