Alberta may regulate home inspectors

The Alberta government wants to know if people think it should start regulating home inspectors.

"In the rare case of a negligent inspection, a homeowner could be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it is prudent to consider whether regulations are needed for the industry," Service Alberta Minister Heather Klimchuk said in a release.

Like most Canadian provinces, Alberta doesn't regulate or license home inspectors

Home inspectors who belong to the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors follow the organization's standards of practice, but membership is voluntary, the government said. The association has asked the province to create mandatory standards and regulations.

New regulations could cover minimum standards of training, experience and continuing education, contract requirements or the creation of a compensation fund for clients.

There are about 225 home inspection businesses in Alberta, and in the last four years, Service Alberta has received 18 complaints.

The province plans to ask home inspectors, realtors and other people involved what they think about regulating the industry.

Members of the public can share their opinions by taking part in a online survey on the Service Alberta website by June 30.

British Columbia started regulating home inspectors earlier this year, making it the only Canadian jurisdiction to do so.