Post-Feb 2021 split: Tarion retained warranty administration, deposit protection, Guarantee Fund, conciliation; HCRA took licensing and conduct

Claim: When the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017 came into force on February 1, 2021 and HCRA was designated as Ontario's new-home builder regulator, the previously-combined Tarion role was split. From that date:

HCRA took over: licensing, competency assessment, code-of-conduct enforcement, complaints about builder conduct, illegal-building investigations, and the Ontario Builder Directory (OBD).

Tarion retained: warranty administration, the Qualification for Enrolment (QFE) process, home enrolments, deposit protection, the Guarantee Fund, conciliation and claims resolution, and pre-possession risk-based inspections.

Sources:

• Tarion announcement: https://www.tarion.com/media/introducing-home-construction-regulatory-authority-and-new-changes-tarion
• HCRA mandate: https://www.hcraontario.ca/what-we-do/

Confidence: Verified.

Transition mechanics: Builders in good standing on Feb 1, 2021 had their Tarion registration numbers automatically transferred to HCRA licence numbers. New applicants must now be HCRA-licensed first before they can apply to Tarion for QFE Confirmation and enrol any home. See Tarion QFE + Enrolment Confirmation — builder must be HCRA-licensed first, then qualify and enrol each home before excavation/foundation.

Why this matters for Candid: Anyone explaining the Ontario new-home regulatory landscape needs both bodies in the picture. The clean shorthand: HCRA licenses builders; Tarion insures homes. See HCRA + Tarion are two distinct gates — an Ontario new-home builder needs both to legally build or sell for the rule.