Residential Tenancies Act: Briefing Book - Michael Walker

Residential Tenancies Act, 2007
B R I E F I N G B O O K
Overview of the Residential Tenancies Act
Contact for Vital Services By-law Program:
Lance Cumberbatch, Director, Investigative Services, ML&S, at 416-392-7633
� Heating By-law (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 497)
The City has a Heating By-Law which is separate from the Vital Services By-Law. It
requires landlords of rented accommodation to provide heat at a minimum air
temperature of 21 degrees Celsius in all areas of the rental unit from the 15th day of
September in each year to the 1st day of June in the following year. It is available at:
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_497.pdf.
The RTA includes “heat” as one of the vital services and stipulates that heat must be
provided at a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in the period between
September 1 in a year and June 15 in the following year. This change to the RTA
provides a standard for all Provincial municipalities where there is no property
standard by-law and no specific provision relating to vital services. In the case of the
City, there are existing provisions in the Municipal Code for addressing both vital
services and adequate heat. Enforcement activity will continue in a way that does not
place the residents of the City at risk.
Multi-residential Apartment Regulatory Strategy
The City of Toronto Act, which was proclaimed on January 1, 2007, gives the City power
to introduce regulations relating to rental residential buildings. ML&S is currently
developing a regulatory strategy to ensure multi-residential apartment buildings are
maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Toronto Municipal Code.
Recommendations are expected in the first half of 2008.
Contact for Policy Lead on Multi-residential Apartment Buildings Strategy:
Fenicia Lewis-Dowlin, Senior Policy and Research Officer, ML&S, at 416-392-8096.
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