You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
What should landlords and<br />
property managers do<br />
The proposed standard is not yet law. For now, you should<br />
review the proposed accessibility standard (see below) and<br />
familiarize yourself with some of the requirements. As<br />
noted, the government says they do not plan to make the<br />
standards retroactive. If you are planning new projects or<br />
major renovations, you should consult with your contractors,<br />
architects and designers to ensure they are aware of the<br />
proposed standards.<br />
Key Points<br />
Human Rights Commission Releases<br />
Policies for Rental Housing<br />
The Human Rights Commission released new guidelines<br />
that review the rules, policies and procedures that help<br />
ensure the practices of private and public sector housing<br />
providers are non-discriminatory in nature.<br />
The Commission’s Policy on Human Rights and Rental<br />
Housing is a comprehensive look at how barriers to housing<br />
can be identified and eliminated. <strong>FRPO</strong> members can<br />
review the full report at: www.ohrc.on.ca/en/resources/<br />
Policies/housing<br />
Some key points <strong>FRPO</strong> is submitting include:<br />
• All existing rental housing buildings must remain exempt<br />
from the proposed standard’s retrofit requirement.<br />
• Requiring retrofit of existing housing would:<br />
• impose undue financial hardship on landlords<br />
• result in above guideline rent increase (AGI’s)<br />
applications with substantially increased rents<br />
for tenants<br />
• cause significant inconvenience for existing tenants<br />
• Landlords and property managers recognize the need<br />
for accessibility and already are responsible for accommodating<br />
disabled people under Ontario’s Human<br />
Rights Code<br />
• Deadlines for compliance for new construction (12<br />
months) and major renovations (12 to 36 months) are<br />
too short to be realistically implemented.<br />
• Requiring accessibility measures in every single new<br />
housing unit will increase the cost of housing, and<br />
have a disproportionate negative impact on lower<br />
income tenants.<br />
How you can learn more<br />
More information, including details of the proposed standard,<br />
can be found at www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/<br />
pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/business/environment<br />
For more information, contact:<br />
Mike Chopowick, Manager of Policy, 416-385-1100 x21<br />
The Commission’s report does not change any existing laws<br />
or regulations related to human rights and discrimination.<br />
Its purpose is to provide tools, practical scenarios and information<br />
that can be applied to everyday situations, so that<br />
human rights problems can be eliminated quickly or prevented<br />
from happening in the first place. The report<br />
includes information to help landlords take proactive steps<br />
to ensure their policies are not having an adverse impact<br />
based on Code grounds.<br />
Under Ontario’s Human Rights Code, tenants and housing<br />
providers have certain rights and obligations. But the Code<br />
does not spell out what these protections and duties mean.<br />
The Commission’s new policy document gives practical<br />
advice on how people can exercise their rights and fulfill<br />
their obligations.<br />
The Commission also released a separate document for<br />
housing providers, titled, “Human Rights in Housing – An<br />
Overview for Landlords”. It can be obtained from the<br />
Ontario Human Rights Commission at www.ohrc.on.ca.<br />
For more information, contact:<br />
Mike Chopowick, Manager of Policy, 416-385-1100 x21<br />
The Voice of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario<br />
41
Change language