Seller Property Information Statement
The BrokerFold Team — Product + Engineering
Last reviewed
A Seller Property Information Statement (SPIS) is Ontario’s optional seller-disclosure form: a questionnaire in which the seller answers questions about the property’s condition, history, and known issues — water problems, renovations and permits, easements, past insurance claims. Where a seller completes one and a buyer relies on it, the answers can carry real legal consequences, which is exactly why the form is controversial.
Why many sellers are advised not to sign one
The SPIS has a long litigation history. An honest but mistaken answer — a basement the seller genuinely believed was dry, a renovation they assumed was permitted — can become the anchor of a claim after closing. Many Ontario real estate lawyers advise sellers to decline the form and let the buyer satisfy themselves through inspection, because the seller’s baseline legal duty is narrower: disclose known material latent defects, the hidden problems that make a property dangerous or unfit. The form expands what a seller has put on the record; it does not create the underlying duty.
What it means for buyers and their agents
A completed SPIS is useful evidence, not a warranty. A buyer’s agent reads it for red flags and follow-up questions, then verifies the answers that matter through an inspection and their own diligence — the agreement of purchase and sale, not the SPIS, governs what the buyer is actually promised. When a seller declines the form, that is normal practice in much of Ontario and not by itself a warning sign.
Why it matters for your website and practice
If you practise in Ontario, an honest explainer about the SPIS is the kind of question-answering content sellers actually search for — and the answer differentiates you precisely because it isn’t a sales pitch. Explain the form, explain the controversy, and let the listing-appointment conversation carry the specifics.
Frequently asked questions
Is a seller required to complete an SPIS in Ontario?
No. The SPIS is voluntary, and completion rates vary widely by market and brokerage culture. What is never optional is the seller's obligation to disclose known material latent defects — dangerous hidden problems a buyer couldn't find on inspection — which exists with or without the form.
How is this different from BC's Property Disclosure Statement?
Same idea, different weight. BC's PDS is also technically optional but is a routine expectation in most BC transactions and is commonly incorporated into the contract. Ontario's SPIS is used far less consistently, partly because of the litigation history around it.
Keep reading
- Property disclosure statement The PDS is BC's standard seller disclosure form — what it covers, what it can't replace, and how it becomes part of the purchase contract.
- Material latent defect A material latent defect is a hidden problem a seller must disclose — how BC and Ontario define it and where the line sits with buyer beware.
- Agreement of purchase and sale The APS is the contract at the centre of every Ontario home sale — offer, acceptance, deposit, conditions and closing terms in one document.