Before you list in Ontario: home inspections, what a seller discloses, and the City's permit records

e-Laws shows the Home Inspection Act, 2017 with the note: "THIS ACT IS NOT YET IN FORCE. It comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor." Its licensing section ("No person shall perform a home inspection unless the person is licensed as a home inspector") is part of what is not yet in force.

The Province's page What to know before buying a home (updated 28 July 2026) says:

• "At this time, Ontario does not have mandatory requirements for home inspectors."
• Inspectors "are currently not required by law to have insurance coverage however, many do have policies that can include general liability or errors-and-omissions coverage".
• "home inspection fees range from $350 to $600 and may be higher, depending on the size and condition of the home".
• It describes an inspector who "provides written inspection reports", "has an accreditation that shows training and experience" and "will provide a written contract".

RECO says it "does not regulate home inspectors." Its bulletin Facts a seller has a legal obligation to disclose sets out two kinds of defect:

• "A patent defect is one that can be detected by a potential home buyer or their home inspector by reasonable observation and inquiry."
• "A latent defect is one that would make a property unfit for habitation, dangerous, or potentially dangerous, and is generally not apparent to someone exercising reasonable care in the inspection of the property."
• "A seller must disclose latent defects. The law of latent defects is complicated." It adds that a seller "may still be liable if they were willfully blind about the existence of the defect."

RECO's page for sellers says: "Your real estate agent may ask you to complete an information statement about the property you are selling." It is "sometimes referred to as a Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS)", and once one exists "your real estate agent must disclose this fact to every interested buyer. If an interested buyer requests a copy of it, the real estate agent must provide it." RECO's home inspection page notes that the information in an SPIS "is based only on their personal knowledge", meaning the seller's.

A buyer's report reads the permits on file for the address. An owner can request the City's own records before listing:

The permits on file, any planning application for the address, and the building and lot size on the City's maps are public records, and a buyer's report reads them. The entries below name each record and where it is published.

• What building permits are on record for the home?Permits and renovations
• Are there planning applications on file for the home itself?Applications for this address
• How big is the building, according to the City's mapping?Building size from City maps
• How big is the lot, according to the City's mapping?Lot size from City maps

A lawyer advises on what a seller must disclose; the Law Society of Ontario's Referral Service gives a free consultation of up to 30 minutes. The City's building department answers questions about a permit on file. Who does what in an Ontario offer names each role and its public register.