The City of Toronto has launched an advertising campaign to inform Toronto residents living in rental apartment buildings that they can reach the RentSafeTO team by contacting 311 if they have problems getting their units or buildings repaired or maintained by their landlord.
Residents are encouraged to contact their landlord first to make service requests for issues such as pests, low or no heat, plumbing problems, leaky ceilings or problems in common areas of the building. If they get no action from their landlord and problems persist, they can contact 311 for the RentSafeTO team.
Launched in 2017, “RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards” is a program that requires rental apartment building owners to comply with building operation and maintenance standards. The program applies to rental apartment buildings with three or more storeys and 10 or more units.
The advertising campaign features images and videos of the most common issues and complaints that the RentSafeTO officers hear about: pests, broken elevators and leaky ceilings. The campaign includes ads on the TTC, posters in apartment buildings and on college/university campuses, newspaper ads in English and ethnic media, as well as geo-targeted social media posts.
“Ultimately we are striving to help ensure that tenants have a safe, secure and decent place to live, as well as protect and preserve the rental housing stock in the city. Our goal with this ad campaign is to remind residents to call the RentSafeTO team if they need support to have problems addressed,” said Mark Sraga, Director of Investigation Services in Municipal Licensing and Standards. “Our message is simple: The RentSafeTO team is the next step after your landlord, and we are here to help.”
If landlords do not comply with the maintenance standards, RentSafeTO officers can take actions such as issuing orders and court charges, which can result in substantial fines. The City can also have the necessary work performed by hiring contractors and placing these costs on the property taxes for the building.
If residents rent an apartment in a building that is not part of the RentSafeTO program, such as a condo building, a townhome or a unit in a private home (basement or main floor apartment) and experience a problem, they should talk to their landlord first. If the problem is not addressed, they can contact 311 to have the City investigate.
Toronto residents can call 311, email 311@toronto.ca or visit https://bit.ly/2Dr9qkJ to submit a property standards service request.
More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/rentsafeTO.
This news release is also available on the City’s website: https://bit.ly/2RGD7B2
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