City of Toronto reminds landlords that they can turn off heat in rental units during warm fall days

The City of Toronto is encouraging landlords to turn off the heat in rental units, if the weather outside means that the building is 21 C without heat.

The Heat Bylaw states that all landlords are responsible for providing heat to a minimum temperature of 21 C from September 15 to June 1.

However, during fall, periods of unseasonably warm weather can cause the indoor temperature of units to rise above 21 C without additional heat. Having the heat on during these warm days can make it uncomfortably hot for tenants.

With warmer weather forecasted for the next few days, the City is encouraging landlords to use their judgement when it comes to heating their rental units. If it is difficult to turn the heating system off and on in buildings during a period of warm weather, here are some strategies for managing indoor temperatures:

• Designate a shared, cool space inside the building, or a shady space outside to provide relief.
• Ensure the building’s tenant notification board is updated with information on the nearest cool space, which can be found using the map at http://www.toronto.ca/keepcool.
• Provide tenants with strategies to keep units cool, such as keeping curtains or blinds shut to block the sun during the day.

The Heat Bylaw is available at: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_497.pdf.

More information about the heat bylaw is available at http://www.toronto.ca/heatbylaw.

Landlords or property managers who have questions should contact RentSafeTO@toronto.ca or call 416-396-7228, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Landlords and tenants can contact 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.