Steps for Verifying a New Home Registration

SDDs and Multi-unit Residential

Buildings

• Manufactured home (CAN/CSA - A277, CSA - Z240)

• Renovation of an existing residential building

not being substantially reconstructed

• Floating home – non-strata titled

• Non-strata titled hotels and motels

• Care facilities (B-2 occupancy)

• Dormitories, including hostels without

self-contained dwelling units

Conversion of Use

• Greater than 10 years old and not substantially

reconstructed

Change/Addition of Residential Units

• Change in the number of units in a pre-existing

building more than 10 years old and not

substantially reconstructed

If you are not sure whether a proposed project

requires a NHRF, please contact

BC Housing Licensing & Consumer Services

by phone 604-646-7050/1-800-407-7757,

email lic[email protected], or direct

the permit applicant to inquire with our oice.

Single-family Dwellings

• Single-detached dwelling (SDD)

• Carriage, laneway, coach home

• Recreational, seasonal, resort cabin

• Substantial reconstruction¹ of a SDD,

including an existing manufactured

home.

Conversion of Use

• Non-residential to residential for sale

• Non-residential to residential not for

sale:

• Substantially reconstructed

• Less than 10 years old

Purpose-built Rental SDDs

• Three or more SDDs under one legal

title for rental purposes may register

a rental covenant on title instead of

registering the units in home warranty

insurance

• A single SDD for rental purposes must

be enrolled in home warranty insurance

Projects that do

NOT REQUIRE a NHRF

Steps for Verifying a

New Home Registration

Projects that REQUIRE a NHRF

Multi-unit Residential Buildings

• Duplex/triplex/quadruplex

• Low/medium/high-rise residential building

• Purpose-built rental residential building

(rental covenant may be registered on title

instead of home warranty insurance)

• Strata-titled hotels and motels

• New sole dwelling unit in, or attached to,

a newly-built non-residential building

(e.g. caretaker suite)

• Substantial reconstruction of a multi-unit

residential building

Conversion of Use

• Non-residential to residential for sale

• Non-residential to residential not for sale:

• Substantially reconstructed

• Less than 10 years old

Change/Addition of Residential Units

• Additional newly-built unit(s) attached

to a pre-existing building

Complete building permit information using the

Local Government Portal or the paper version.

1. Using Local Government Portal

• Open the applicable Registration Form and it will

provide an option to record the permit number

and permit date. If required, update the address

and add any applicable comments.

• If you provide the building permit and address

through the Local Government Portal, the

information will be updated immediately and

you do not need to send a paper copy of the

NHRF to BC Housing.

2. Using the Paper Version Provided by the

Building Permit Applicant

• For Section E, record the permit number, permit

date and update the address details, if required;

and

• If you accept a paper version of the NHRFs

and choose not to record the building permit

information through the Local Government Portal,

please submit a copy of all paper versions with

Section E completed, to BC Housing (via email,

fax or mail) on at least a monthly basis.

see over

1. NHRF – Single-detached Dwelling

or Multi-unit Residential Building

Review the following for completeness

and accuracy:

• Licensed Residential Builder’s name

matches permit details and the

Residential Builder Licence has not

expired

• Civic address, if available, and legal

description including the PID

• Dwelling unit type and number of units

• Warranty provider name is indicated,

if home warranty insurance has been

provided, or presence of a BC Housing

seal certifying an applicable

BC Housing exemption

If you suspect the proposed new home

will not be built by a Licensed Residential

Builder, please call us immediately.

Review the NHRF for completeness and accuracy to ensure that the information

is consistent with the building permit application.

We strongly recommend using BC Housing’s Local Government Portal when

reviewing NHRFs before issuing a building permit for new home construction.

This ensures you have access to the most up-to-date information. It also

prevents potential tampering with the paper version.

2. NHRF – Owner Builder

Authorization

Review the following for completeness

and accuracy:

• Owner builder’s name matches

building permit applicant

• Civic address, if available, and legal

description, PID and property owner

name

• Dwelling unit type and the number

of units is no more than one

(please note: a carriage home,

laneway home and coach home

require their own NHRF)

• Reason for the exemption is noted as

Owner Builder Authorization

If you suspect the proposed new home

will not be built or managed by the

owner builder, please call us immediately.

Reviewing a NHRF

Completing Building

Permit Information

Compliance Tip Line: 1-800-407-7757 (select option 4)

Email: compliance@bchousing.org

A Guide for Building Permit

Issuing Authorities

Knowing which project types

require a NHRF

NHRFs are needed for enrolled homes, owner-built homes and rental homes.

Building Permit Issuing Authorities (BPIAs)

are valued partners who work in collaboration

with BC Housing to enhance consumer

protection and condence for new home

buyers. This guide explains three important

steps that BPIAs need to take when reviewing

New Home Registration Forms (NHRFs) before

issuing a building permit for construction in

British Columbia. The Homeowner Protection

Act (Act) and its regulation states that builders

of new homes must have the appropriate

NHRF to obtain a building permit. See over

for Section 30 of the Act.

NHRF

Accessing the Local Government Portal

Each Building Permit Issuing Authority (BPIA) is eligible to obtain its own online

account to access BC Housing’s Local Government Portal.

BPIAs can grant their sta access to the Portal account to share building permit

information electronically with BC Housing.

Accessing the Local Government Portal provides BPIAs with the following benets:

• See a complete list of registered projects that have not yet been issued a building

permit for your area

• Access electronic registration forms and detailed registration information for new

homes throughout the province

• Verify information submitted for building permits matches the information

submitted to BC Housing

• Record building permit details and edit civic and legal address information online,

eliminating the need for paper registration forms

Contact BC Housing to sign up for an online account to access the

Local Government Portal.

Relevant Legislation

¹ See Regulatory Bulletin No. 6: Substantially Reconstructed Homes and the Homeowner Protection Act on the BC Housing website.

² Includes hotels and motels located on properties zoned for residential or commercial.

Licensing & Consumer Services

Branch of BC Housing

Phone: 604-646 7050

Toll-free: 1-800-407-7757

Fax: 604-646-7051

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.bchousing.org

@RegistrarBCH

Prior to issuing a building permit for a new home project, it is important for the

BPIA to verify that the proposed project is either covered by home warranty insurance

and will be built by a Licensed Residential Builder, will be built by an owner builder

under an approved Owner Builder Authorization, or that a rental covenant has been

registered and the appropriate New Home Registration Form has been issued by

BC Housing.

This guide is for convenience only and it does not constitute legal advice.

For complete details, consult the Homeowner Protection Act and its regulations.

Licensing of Residential Builders

14 (1) A person must not carry on the business of a residential builder unless

licensed under this Part.

Mandatory Home Warranty

22 (1) A person must not build a new home unless the new home is registered

for coverage by home warranty insurance provided by a warranty provider.

Building Permits

30 (1) A municipality, regional district or treaty rst nation must not issue a building

permit for a proposed new home unless the applicant provides evidence, in the

prescribed form,

(a) that the proposed new home

(i) is covered by home warranty insurance, or

(ii) will be built by an owner builder or is otherwise exempted by

regulation from the requirement to be covered by home warranty

insurance, and

(b) that the proposed new home will be built

(i) by a licensed residential builder, or

(ii) by an owner builder or a person who is otherwise exempted by

regulation from the requirement to be licensed as a residential builder.