TARION update re Registrar Bulletin 15 and Upcoming CSS Changes

Changes to Registrar Bulletin 15

This bulletin outlines how the fee, that the vendor/builder must pay to receive the Qualification for Enrolment (QFE) Confirmation and Enrolment confirmation, will be charged and collected. We have previously written about the particulars of the QFE here.

What is changing:

• Change is effective for enrolments received by Tarion on or after April 1, 2024
• The change impacts the treatment of enrolment fees upon cancellation with an increase in the non-refundable amount designated for the purpose of guarantee fund capital replenishment from $100/home +HST to $300/home +HST

What is not changing:

• No change to the total per home enrolment fee amount
• No impact to existing enrolments

Updates to Customer Service Standard (CSS)

The CSS is the key process for how warranty claims are handled and how homeowners can seek assistance from Tarion and provides structure, allowing for the efficient scheduling of trades and repair appointments for finishing and cosmetic items in the home.

What is changing: 

For homes with a date of possession of May 1, 2024^[1], or after:

1. Extending the initial homeowner submission period to now be 40 days;

• First submission made by a homeowner will be made on day 41

2. Making the interim 10-day grace period at the end of the first-year permanent;

• Homeowner must be able to show written evidence that the issue was reported in writing to their builder during the first year

3. Creating a mid-year submission at 6 months;

• Allows homeowners to identify issues outside of the initial and year-end periods

4. Allowing homeowners to add items to a list of potential defects at any time during the first-year warranty period

• Homeowners will be able to describe items via Tarion’s MyHome portal which will be itemized into a list and will be auto-submitted by MyHome at three key intervals
• Initial form at day 41, Mid-Year form at day 183 and Year-End form on day 365, (“Key Intervals”)
• Each of these submissions will generate a builder repair period, as happens today
• Whatever items are on the homeowners list at the time it is due to be submitted will be auto-submitted by MyHome
• The builder cannot see the itemized list until it is auto-submitted by MyHome

5. Removing the 30-day timeline for a homeowner to request a conciliation^[2]

• allow homeowners to request a conciliation for the initial and mid-year from Day 1 of the Builders Repair period up until next form’s submission date. For the year end form, a homeowner can request a conciliation up to 150 days after the end of the first year
•  the conciliation inspection will only be scheduled for a date after the builder repair periods have expired
• A homeowner can request conciliation for the Initial form anytime between day 42 and day 183, which is when the Mid-Year form will be auto-submitted
• A homeowner can request conciliation for the Mid-Year form anytime between day 184 and day 365, which is when the Year-End form will be auto-submitted
• A homeowner can request conciliation for the Year-End form anytime between day 366 and day 516, which is 150 days after the end of the first year.

What is not changing:

• No changes to lengths of builder repair periods
• No changes to the second year or seven-year process
• No changes to common element process
• No changes to special/seasonal process
• No changes to the emergency process

Preparing for CSS changes

Training Ontario (in partnership with TARION) is offering an online education course to support builders with the new changes. Builders are provided one free course that can be redeemed through the following link: (to be used by December 31, 2024)

For any questions related to this article, please reach out to one of our experienced real estate or condominium development lawyers at SorbaraLAW.