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Ontario’s home builder watchdog letting risky builders slip through, auditor finds

Regulator fast-tracked licences for builders under investigation and failed to screen financial risks, even as complaints soared 1,000 per cent.

Published Oct 1, 2025 at 3:25pm

Barbara Patrocinio
By
Barbara Patrocinio
Ontario’s home builder watchdog letting risky builders slip through, auditor finds

Ontario's Auditor General Shelley Spence speaks to the media following the release her Annual Report, at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Ontario’s regulator for new home builders is failing to do its job, letting dozens of builders with active complaints and questionable finances operate unchecked, the province’s Auditor General has found.

In an audit released this Wednesday, Auditor General Shelley Spence concluded the Home Construction Regulatory Authority (HCRA) is failing to protect homebuyers and is not meeting its obligations under the law.

The watchdog, which is responsible for licensing and monitoring Ontario’s home builders, has approved thousands of licences without reviewing key financial documents or checking for active complaints.

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