In our previous engagement, we learned that safety, maintenance concerns and the need for proactive inspections are key priorities for residents when it comes to rental licensing. Based on this feedback, we’re proposing a new bylaw for apartment buildings to focus on proactive inspections and publicly available evaluation scores for each registered building.

Summary of proposed bylaw

The proposed bylaw will require the registration of all apartment buildings, defined as residential buildings of three or more stories containing five or more units with a shared internal corridor system, including condominium buildings. Registration will involve submitting an annual self-assessment, a certificate of insurance demonstrating a minimum of $5 million in liability coverage and the development of several operational plans, including a cleaning plan, pest management plan, electrical maintenance plan, state of good repair plan and a vital service disruption plan.

The bylaw will establish a proactive inspection process where each registered building will undergo scheduled evaluations. These evaluations will assess maintenance, safety and building condition based on clear and objective criteria. Buildings that do not meet the minimum acceptable score will be subject to mandatory audits and potential corrective orders. All evaluation scores will be published annually to promote transparency, allowing tenants and prospective renters to make informed choices as well as to motivate owners to maintain high standards and continuously improve over time.

Additional obligations for owners will include maintaining a tenant service request process, posting key information on a tenant notification board, responding promptly to urgent maintenance issues and prohibiting the rental of units that do not meet minimum standards. Enforcement will occur through administrative penalties, audits and property standards orders to ensure compliance and protect tenant health, safety and well-being.

The survey is currently closed.

Individual survey responses will not immediately be made available publicly, but your feedback (including overall results of surveys, and in some instances, unidentifiable and randomly chosen quotes or comments from surveys) may be published in publicly available reports at the end of the consultation period. Please note, if you choose to provide personal information in your comments, it will be available for City staff reviewing responses to this survey. Responses to surveys are subject to Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 (as amended) and can be a part of a Freedom of Information request. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.