Guides
Ontario property due diligence: what to check and where to find it
Whether you're buying a house to live in, an investment property, or listing one, the same records decide what the property is and what it can become. This is the list we work from, with where each record comes from and whether you can look it up by address here.
The checklist
What to checkWhere it comes fromIn a lookup
Zone and permitted uses
What the property can be used for and which dwelling types and how many units are allowed.
Where: The municipality's zoning by-law and zoning map.
In a lookup: Yes
Setbacks, height, lot coverage, minimum lot size
How much can be built, and whether an addition or severance is realistic.
Where: The zoning by-law, for the lot's zone.
In a lookup: Yes
Site-specific exceptions and minor variances
An exception or a past variance can change individual numbers on one lot.
Where: The by-law's exception schedules; Committee of Adjustment decisions.
In a lookup: Partly
Lot dimensions
Frontage and area decide what the by-law minimums allow.
Where: A survey by an Ontario Land Surveyor; the municipality's parcel map gives an approximation.
In a lookup: Partly
Building permits
Whether additions, basements and decks were permitted and closed.
Where: The municipality's building department; some cities publish permits as open data.
In a lookup: Partly
Work orders and compliance
Open orders and known violations transfer with the property.
Where: A compliance letter from the municipality (a fee applies).
In a lookup: No
Floodplain and conservation authority regulated area
Most work needs the authority's permit; new buildings in a floodway generally aren't allowed; insurance can be affected.
Where: The conservation authority's regulation and floodplain maps.
In a lookup: Yes
Heritage designation or district
Exterior changes and demolition need a heritage permit.
Where: The municipal heritage register and heritage conservation district plans.
In a lookup: Yes
Official Plan designation and nearby applications
What the city intends for the area, and what is proposed on nearby lots.
Where: The Official Plan and the municipality's development application map.
In a lookup: Yes
Provincial plan areas
The Greenbelt, Oak Ridges Moraine and Niagara Escarpment plans restrict development.
Where: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Niagara Escarpment Commission maps.
In a lookup: Yes
Title, easements, liens and mortgages
Who owns it, who has rights over it, and what is registered against it.
Where: The Ontario land registry, searched by your lawyer.
In a lookup: No
Assessment and property taxes
The assessed value and any arrears.
Where: MPAC (AboutMyProperty) and a tax certificate from the municipality.
In a lookup: No
Environmental history
Past industrial use, fuel tanks or fill can mean clean-up costs.
Where: Ontario's Environmental Site Registry (Records of Site Condition), environmental site assessments, municipal records of former waste sites.
In a lookup: Partly
Servicing
Rural lots on a well and septic need their own checks; urban lots need capacity for more units.
Where: The municipality and the local health unit.
In a lookup: No
Building condition
Structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, moisture.
Where: A home inspector.
In a lookup: No
“Partly” means the lookup shows it where the municipality publishes it: lot dimensions from the parcel map rather than a survey, permits where the city publishes them, Committee of Adjustment files in the cities that map them, and former waste sites where they are mapped.
Order of work
- Look up the zoning and map checks for the address before you offer. It takes a minute.
- If the plan depends on adding units, an addition or a severance, ask about that specifically and confirm with the city's planning or zoning desk.
- Make the offer conditional on what you can't check yourself: inspection, and if it matters, a zoning or compliance letter.
- Your lawyer searches title, liens and taxes before closing.
Agents and investors have their own pages: for agents and brokers and for investors.
Cities covered
BramptonMississaugaTorontoOakvilleCaledonHamiltonBurlingtonVaughanCambridge
Questions
- Which of these does a lawyer check?
- Your real estate lawyer searches title, registered easements and liens, and usually requests the tax certificate and, if you ask, the compliance letter. Zoning, conservation authority and heritage questions are often left to the buyer unless you ask for them specifically.
- When should I check zoning: before or after the offer?
- Before, or make the offer conditional on it. A zoning surprise found after the conditions are waived is the buyer's problem.
A first look, not a legal opinion, a survey or a substitute for the city's own records. Confirm with the municipality before you rely on it.