Overview
A title search examines registered ownership, mortgages, easements and other interests that may affect a property.
Title insurance may cover specified risks subject to its terms and exclusions, but it does not replace legal review.
What can a title search reveal?
A search may disclose ownership, legal description, mortgages, liens, easements, restrictive covenants and other instruments. Scope varies and is not an absolute guarantee.
Scope of title insurance
Coverage depends on policy wording, limits and exclusions. It does not automatically cover every condition, boundary, zoning or environmental issue or replace legal review.
Questions to ask before closing
Ask which title and off-title searches will be completed, what the policy covers, what it excludes, and whether owner and lender coverage differ. Known renovations, access arrangements, boundaries or property-use concerns should be raised before closing.
Ontario does not require title insurance. It can protect against specified losses, but coverage remains subject to the policy wording, limits and exclusions.