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British Columbia Solicitor General John van Dongen announced Friday that mandatory licensing and qualification for home inspectors would begin for April of this year, a move which a number of homebuyers and activists in B.C. have called for historically.

To this point, training and qualification has been voluntary, leaving homeowners in a situation where they were entirely unsure whether their inspectors were trained or not - with little knowledge and concern about the private certification agencies which did exist. The qualifications will be developed by the B.C. Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors and the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia, two groups supposed to have the technical and legal knowledge to develop the requirements accurately. Additionally, the National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors will be qualified to continue licensing inspectors under the new legal terminology.

No other province currently mandates training for home inspectors. British Columbia has approximately 400 home inspectors operating as a business.

Inspectors who do not comply with the new licensing will face penalties up to $5,000 Canadian.

To become licensed, home inspectors will need to meet the qualifications of: the B.C. branch of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors; or the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia; or the National Certification Program for Home & Property Inspectors.

Home inspectors will also be subject to a criminal record check to be granted licensing.

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