Last April 4th, the new Québec (provincial) government tabled Bill 16, an omnibus bill covering several aspects of residential legislation among which is inspector legislation. This is the third consecutive government to table this type of legislation.
As opposed to the previous Government (last year), this piece of legislation is not under Consumer Protection but Municipal Affairs and will be enforced by the “Régie du Bâtiment du Québec” (Quebec Building Regulator).
InterNACHI-Québec (as well as other interested parties) has been invited to present a brief and we met with officials earlier this month to present our ideas. This is an on-going process and will take some time to finalize. Will it improve consumer protection, quality of service, add value, etc.? That remains to be seen!
We appeared before a National Assembly Committee on this Bill a few days after it was tabled and made our views known to this government. We are also in very close contact with the RBQ and more particularly its President Michel Beaudoin. Nothing has taken off as yet and we await the Fall Session until something does happen. We do want every interested party to be heard, have a grandfather clause for existing inspectors and a “buffer” period of at least one year before any permit is required.
With all due respect. InterNACHI Proper and InterNACHI Quebec are one in the same.
Our views? Hm.
Personally, I find it difficult to comprehend why all inspectors were not notified via email, a round table convened prior meeting the minister with the government concerns made pubic to attending inspectors and a list of concerns handed to the minister or at the very least a list of what the governments concerns were give to members at their request.
Gilles, InterNACHI Quebec is doing a good job. Avoiding the message board is not in a members best interest. Thanks for the post. More must be done to reach out to all InterNACHI members in Quebec.
UPDATE: Well as of last week, the Québec Government officially adopted Bill 16 into Law! The next step in the process is to, like Ontario, write regulations for this law! The responsibility for organizing this process is given to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ)! InterNACHI-Québec has met with the RBQ on several occasions and we have excellent contacts with their leadership!
How long this process will take is anybody’s guess and we hope that no one is in a hurry!
Gille. Please provide Quebec InterNACHI members with contacts.
The official Provincial Mandate pertaining to The RBQ; To issue ‘contractors or owner-builders’ licences.
Home Inspectors are neither of the two.
As to our property inspection agreement. (CONTRACT)
Section 2:
Subsection d: Unless otherwise indicated in writing separately, CLIENT understands that INSPECTOR will not test for compliance with applicable building codes, for the presence of potential dangers arising from asbestos, lead paint, formaldehyde, molds, soil contamination, and other environmental hazards such as radon or municipal building code violations.
Section 5. The INSPECTOR does not perform engineering, architectural, plumbing, or any other job function requiring an occupational license in the jurisdiction where the inspection is taking place, unless the inspector holds a valid occupational license, in which case he/she may inform the CLIENT that he/she is so licensed, and is therefore qualified to go beyond this basic home.
If you are suggesting The RBQ implement tests and licenses, I do not concur.
Again I ask you. Please provide Provincial InterNACHI members with a means to contact the government agencies involved.
Thank you.
Quebec InterNACHI Members.
Start to CREATE groups independently. Your voice will not be heard if others representing you tell you what to say, do or think.
We all have valid concerns. I for one would rather leave this in the hands of the OACIQ as representative to real estate transactions. They should validate whom is or is not considered a home inspector in Quebec for the moment.
To further my remarks. For the most part; home Inspectors’ in Quebec have a symbiotic relationship with real estate brokers. Most realities/real estate brokers, if not all, note whom attended the inspection, for legal reasons.
For that reason alone, the OACIQ would be best suited as the authority holding jurisdiction for home inspectors.
Buyers can turn to their realtors for help finding a good inspector. The regulatory authority that oversees realtors and mortgage brokers in Quebec, the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ), outlines strict requirements for brokers when referring [home inspectors that help weed out the less qualified. I concur. InterNACHI proper can help. G apparently is running down his own rabbit hole.
Too bad.
So sad.
The Montreal Gazette recently wrote an article: Real estate: The trouble with home inspections The SEO used, life-homes-the-trouble-with-home-inspectors.
I was confused, and I bet ‘so are the public.’ Big Time…
They, the individual that wrote the article, goes on to say/Complain/Bemoan; There is a big problem with the home inspection industry that many buyers don’t know about: pretty much anyone can call themselves a “home inspector” in Quebec.
Funny when you think about it. Has nothing to do with Home Inspections. Home Inspection would be SoP.
Remember the BC CBC journalist Elaine Young that latched onto the [home inspector Imer Toth]?(https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/home-inspector-must-pay-192-000-1.785296): The court ordered Toth to pay the $192,000 difference between his estimate and the final repair bill. Imre Toth of Aldergrove was negligent because he failed to inspect the entire home, and should have advised the couple to hire a structural engineer before they bought the $1.1-million house in September 2006.
Then she went down the rabbit hole following Mike Holmes, a non licensed general contractor that fast tracked his son to owning a home inspection franchise in Ontario, as he slandered every home inspector unaware of SoP.
Out of that mess came Licensing in BC and Alberta for no good reasoning.
Hopefully this get straightened out. The OACIQ is best suited for seeing home inspector qualifications.
Lets not jump into the Quebec licensing home inspectors rabbit hole again. Remember where you voice went with the PQ, G?
Too bad.
So sad.
Hi Gilles & Robert…more so Robert a bit of a correction, BC licensing came out of a lot lobbying by what was at that time CAHPI-BC (now HIABC). The BC & AB licensing are different from each other in many ways. Likewise, when Ontario licensing comes into effect, it too will likely be different then BC & AB. Just my opinion, but a government favoring only 1 home inspection association is not the usual standard looking at it from a political POV. At best just wishful thinking.
Robert, you are right to say that the OACIQ real estate auto regulatory body should oversee home inspections pertaining to brokered real estate transactions. This being said they have no say in un brokered transactions. Also the home inspector is the generalist that owners turn to when correctives are necessary. I f you ask me, home inspections should classified as essential services not bound by the OACIQ when they are not concerned.
I’m new to this and i’m looking for some more information, i’m based in Montreal, do we need to join internachi quebec? Or what is going to happen when the rbq takes over?
Morning, Panagiotis.
Welcome to InterNACHI MB-message board form.
Too answer you question online, ‘do we need to join internachi quebec?’, the answer is no.
InterNACHI Quebec is a Quebec chapter of/in InterNACHI proper.
Much of what I read on the InterNACHI Quebec web site History page I can dispute. The chapter started in 2012 or 2013 if I am not mistaken. There were ><10 members.
Look into joining. If it suits your needs best of luck with your endeavors.
If I were you Robert, I would stick my nose in my business not other parties’! If Panagiotis wants to find out about InterNACHI-Québec, he is welcome to contact us.
Gilles, always a pleasure to talk to you.
Did you read the OP’s post? I’m new to this and i’m looking for some more information, i’m based in Montreal, do we need to join internachi quebec?
Did you read my answer? Look into joining. If it suits your needs best of luck with your endeavors. Give yourself the same amount of time talking to InterNACHI Quebec.
Gilles. The chapter is a great idea. Rise to the occasion as its founder.