Who Owns a Home
Inspection Report?
Understanding your rights — whether you're a homeowner, buyer, agent, or inspector.
Ownership at a Glance
Home inspection reports involve two key parties. Here's how rights are typically divided:
InterNACHI Code of Ethics & Confidentiality
The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) maintains a Code of Ethics that addresses report confidentiality. Under their "Duty to the Public" guidelines:
An InterNACHI member may not release information about an inspection to anyone other than the client without explicit written consent.
The confidentiality rules bind the inspector, not the client. If you paid for the inspection, you control who sees it.
If an inspector is asked to share, the client must know what will be shared, with whom, and for what purpose.
Common Scenarios
Here's how report ownership works in practice:
Seller uploads their own pre-listing inspection
You paid for the inspection, you own it, you can share it. This is encouraged — transparency builds buyer confidence and can lead to stronger offers.
Buyer uploads an inspection to their new home
After closing, you're the homeowner. You paid for the inspection as a buyer, and you can post it to your property's page to build its history.
Agent uploads on behalf of a homeowner
Agents don't own the report — the homeowner does. You must have explicit permission from the person who paid for the inspection before uploading.
Seller uploads a buyer's inspection report
If a buyer shared their inspection during negotiations, the seller received a copy but doesn't own it. Upload only with the buyer's explicit consent.
What a Shared Report Is, and Is Not
An inspection report describes one property, on one day, for the person who commissioned it. Inspectors are advised to say exactly that inside the report, and most do: the findings are reliable for their original client, and anyone else should arrange their own inspection.
That does not make a shared report less useful — it is still the most detailed account of a home most buyers will ever see, and it tells them what the seller knew and when. It means a report posted here is a starting point for a conversation, not a substitute for the buyer's own inspection, and nothing on this site should be read as replacing one.
PropertyCredentials does not inspect, verify, endorse or evaluate any document posted here. Documents are shown as the homeowner uploaded them.
How PropertyCredentials Protects Everyone
Every uploader confirms they own the document or commissioned it and have the right to share it. The wording they agreed to is stored with the document, along with the date, so there is a record if it is ever questioned.
If a copyright holder believes content was uploaded without permission, they can request removal and we'll act promptly.
When uploading an inspection report, homeowners can tag the inspector — giving credit where it's due and driving referrals.
PropertyCredentials does not modify, edit, or claim ownership of any uploaded documents. Your content remains yours.
Have Questions?
We're here to help. Reach out directly — no forms, no chatbots.
chris@propertycredentials.com