Tougher New Rules for Toronto Landlords Approved

Toronto City Council approved new rules for landlords to help better inform and protect tenants, starting July 1, 2017.

Under the new requirements, landlords will have to:

• Register with the city and provide information about the property owner and operator
• Develop a system for tracking tenant requests for repairs
• Respond to urgent tenant requests within 24 hours and non-urgent requests within 7 days
• Provide information to tenants regarding planned or unplanned service disruptions, including disruption to heat, water, security, electricity, elevators (including nature of disruption, duration of disruption, units affected).
• Provide information to tenants regarding major capital projects (including nature of project, duration of project, units affected).
• Post emergency contact information 
• Use a licensed or certified contractor where required by law for activities including but not limited to servicing heat, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing systems
• Have a state of good repair capital plan (for elements including the roof, elevators, windows and mechanical systems) and make the plan available to tenants and prospective tenants upon request.

 For more information, see the stories at the following links:

Toronto Star: Toronto council approves new bylaw to protect tenants

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/03/29/toronto-council-approves-new-bylaw-to-protect-tenants.html

CBC: City of Toronto approves new apartment bylaws to protect tenants

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/apartment-bylaws-approved-1.4045835

You can read what City Council voted on at the link below:

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.LS17.1

Government Reviewing Rent Increase Rules

Time is Right to Improve Tenant Rights

After a flood of media stories about the rental housing crisis and the recent launch of a private member’s bill, there are hopeful signs that the provincial government will introduce new rules to better protect tenants.

Ontario Housing Minister Chris Ballard told the CBC, “It's absolutely unacceptable that renters are facing the pressure that they're facing today. So we'll be bringing forward legislation that expands on the rent controls that are currently in place." He didn’t specify details or the timing. For the full story, click here

The CBC story was one of many recent media stories about tenant issues. David Reevely of the Ottawa Citizen wrote an opinion piece stating that now that the Ontario government has brought forward a plan to lower electricity bills, the next target is rental control. For the full story, click here

MPP Peter Tabuns has introduced a private member’s bill that would eliminate a rent control exemption for units built after 1991. The Toronto Star praised the move, saying it should be supported by all parties. To read the editorial, click here

On March 24, the Globe and Mail had a story about how landlords are using evictions and rent hikes to bypass rent controls. The article also noted evictions for non-payment of rent are dropping, while landlord applications for above-guideline increases are soaring, with the largest growth of any type of application. For the full story, click here

The chief economist of CIBC is pushing for more rental properties, call Toronto “unaffordable.” For the full story, click here

You Can Keep Pressing for Changes

What can you do to help push for better rules for tenants?

·                  Sign the ACORN online petition  

·                  Add your name to the online petition to support the private member’s bill to remove the 1991 rent control exemption

·                  Contact MPP Arthur Potts at 416-690-1032 or apotts.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

·                 Attend the public tenant meeting Monday, March 27, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bethany Baptist Church, 1041 Pape Ave. (at Cosburn)