Property Standards

The Property Standards By-law provides the minimum standards for property owners to follow. 

Here are examples of standards that are in the by-law:

• Outdoor maintenance: Drainage systems, parking lot upkeep, pest prevention, retaining walls, signs, canopies, and awnings, yards and walkways
• Structural standards: Balconies, porches, fire escapes, doors, windows, stairs, exterior and interior walls, foundations, roofs, ceilings, and floors
• Systems: Electrical systems and lighting, fireplaces and chimneys, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and sewage
• Facilities and amenities: Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, elevating devices, and garages
• Other standards: Access to vital services, demolition requirements, garbage disposal, heritage property care, occupancy rules, vacant and damaged buildings

• Building and property maintenance: The rules of the property standards by-law are for all buildings and properties, including rental properties. The landlord must keep the rental property clean and in a good state of repair. The tenant must keep their rental unit clean.

• Fire safety: Landlords must follow all fire safety laws. Tenants cannot risk the safety of the landlord or other tenants by keeping their unit so cluttered that it poses a fire hazard.

• Pests: The landlord must take steps to control rodents, vermin and insects. The tenant must keep their unit reasonably clean so that it doesn’t attract pests.

• Temperature: Landlords must provide heat at a minimum temperature of 22^o Celsius (72^o Fahrenheit) in all habitable rooms and interior living spaces from September 1 to June 15 of the following year

• Vital services are hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, gas and heat during certain months of the year. Landlords must ensure each occupied rental unit has a reasonable supply of these services. Landlords can only stop providing vital services if it’s necessary for repairs or changes, and only for the shortest time needed to finish the work.

Reporting problems with rental properties

If you're a tenant and believe the rental property violates the property standards by law, start by notifying your landlord in writing.

If your landlord doesn’t fix the problem, contact Municipal By-law Enforcement or call 905-356-7521 ext. 4700.

For more information on how to solve a disagreement with your landlord or tenant visit the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing website.

If you have been served an order, you may wish to appeal. Appeals are handled through the Property Standards Committee. 

To learn how to appeal a property standards order, please visit our Property Standards Committee page.

Property owners can ask us for a property standards certificate of compliance. This certificate confirms that the property meets the rules in the Property Standards By-law and the Building Code Act.

To request a certificate:

• Email Municipal By-law Enforcement
• Phone 905-356-7521 ext. 4700

Fees: You can find the latest fees in the Schedule of Fees.

Building Permits ensure that all building construction governed by a building permit meets the minimum acceptable standard as required by the Ontario Building Code Act. 

To find out what kind of work needs a permit visit Do I Need A Building Permit?

Property owners must register their vacant buildings and check on them monthly to ensure they meet property standards. This program helps improve safety and keeps neighbourhoods looking their best.

More information about this program will be available next year.