British Columbia will become the first province in Canada to license home inspectors to better protect buyers and ensure qualified inspections. "Whether they're buying their fi rst condo or starter home, dream or retirement home, consumers need to have confi dence that the person who is doing the inspection has the qualifi cations to make a professional assessment," Solicitor General and Minister responsible for consumers, John van Dongen said. The Province opted for licensing under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) and developed a model that will minimize paperwork and costs to help maximize compliance. Effective March 31, the BPCPA will help protect the buyer's interests by:
• Assessing the qualifications of, and requiring mandatory licences for,home inspectors."Requiring inspectors to be licensed provides sellers and buyers with confi dence that all inspections will be carried out by a qualifi ed professional," said John Winter, president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce.
• Receiving and responding to complaints from consumers.
• Monitoring compliance through inspections and enforcement, with penalties that can range as high as $5,000.
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