{"id":909,"slug":"tarion-warranty-exclusions-s13-2-onhwpa","title":"Tarion warranty exclusions (ONHWPA s.13(2)) — homeowner alterations, normal wear, dampness/condensation, secondary damage, acts of God","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team","client-prospect"],"topics":["gc-vertical","tarion-warranty"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Per **ONHWPA s. 13(2)** and Tarion's \"What is not covered\" page, the warranty does not cover:\n\n- Defects in materials, design and work supplied by the homeowner.\n- **Secondary damage caused by defects under warranty** (e.g., personal-property damage, personal injury).\n- Normal wear and tear; normal shrinkage of materials caused by drying.\n- Damage from dampness or condensation due to homeowner failure to ventilate.\n- Damage from improper maintenance.\n- Alterations, deletions or additions made by the homeowner.\n- Subsidence of land around the building (other than beneath the footings).\n- Damage resulting from an act of God (extraordinary natural events only).\n- Damage caused by insects/rodents (unless building violates the OBC).\n- Damage caused by municipal services or other utilities.\n- Surface defects specified and accepted in writing by the owner.\n- Elevators, HVAC appliances and certain other appliances (explicitly excluded from common-elements coverage).\n\n**Source:** ONHWPA s. 13(2); Tarion \"What is not covered\" page.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**The three exclusions buyers find most surprising:**\n1. **Secondary damage** — water damage to furniture from a warranted plumbing leak is not covered.\n2. **Dampness/condensation** tied to inadequate ventilation by the homeowner.\n3. **Homeowner alterations** that void the warranty on the modified item.\n\n**For buyer-facing client content:** Setting expectations honestly here builds trust. Buyers who learn about secondary-damage exclusion from the builder won't feel ambushed if a claim later runs into it.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-tarion-ontario-may-2026","title":"Research brief: Tarion Warranty Corporation — definitive reference (May 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"tarion-1-2-7-warranty-detailed-coverage-by-year","title":"Tarion 1-2-7 warranty in full — year-by-year coverage from possession through year 7 (workmanship, building envelope, distribution systems, MSD)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-24T14:19:39.481Z","updated_at":"2026-05-24T14:19:39.481Z"}