Homeowner Protection Office
Encyclopedia
The Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) is a branch of BC Housing, a provincial Crown agency located in Burnaby, British Columbia
, Canada
. It is responsible for licensing residential builders and building envelope renovators province-wide; administering Owner Builder Authorizations; and carrying out research and education which benefits the residential construction industry and consumers.
The HPO serves buyers of new homes and people arranging for new homes to be built, homeowners (particularly owners of homes covered by home warranty insurance), developers, residential builders, building envelope renovators and owner builders. In undertaking its activities the HPO also works closely with warranty providers, building officials, industry and related consumer associations, all levels of government, educational institutions, research organizations, architects, engineers, property managers, the legal community and the real estate community.
The HPO was formed as a response to the need to create basic consumer protections for buyers of new homes. The Homeowner Protection Act (Act) which passed on July 28, 1998 for the main purposes of strengthening consumer protection for buyers of new homes and improving the quality of residential construction in the province. The Act provided for the creation of the HPO and officially opened on October 1, 1998.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is responsible for licensing residential builders and building envelope renovators province-wide; administering Owner Builder Authorizations; and carrying out research and education which benefits the residential construction industry and consumers.
The HPO serves buyers of new homes and people arranging for new homes to be built, homeowners (particularly owners of homes covered by home warranty insurance), developers, residential builders, building envelope renovators and owner builders. In undertaking its activities the HPO also works closely with warranty providers, building officials, industry and related consumer associations, all levels of government, educational institutions, research organizations, architects, engineers, property managers, the legal community and the real estate community.
The HPO was formed as a response to the need to create basic consumer protections for buyers of new homes. The Homeowner Protection Act (Act) which passed on July 28, 1998 for the main purposes of strengthening consumer protection for buyers of new homes and improving the quality of residential construction in the province. The Act provided for the creation of the HPO and officially opened on October 1, 1998.