The Property Standards Bylaw sets the standards for all properties in Toronto. Property owners, landlords and property managers must repair and take care of their property, including homes they rent out. Tenants also have duties under the bylaw, like helping keep their homes safe and clean.
Chapter 629, Section 38: If your landlord provides air conditioning, they must operate it from June 1 to September 30. It must keep your home at 26°C or cooler. Landlords must keep air conditioners in good working order. Landlords do not have to add air conditioning if there is none.
Supplied facilities, including air conditioning, must be constructed, installed, and maintained to work safely and well. Air conditioners must have proper devices to stop water runoff onto sidewalks, walkways, driveways, entrances, or other places where people walk or vehicles travel.
Chapter 629, Section 34 and 37: Every rental unit must have at least one toilet, one wash basin, one kitchen sink and one bathtub or shower. Each one must have hot and cold running water. The toilet only needs cold water.
Chapter 629, Section 28: Doors, passageways and exits must be free from hazardous conditions and obstructions. Door closers, latches, hinges, and other exit safety equipment must be kept in good working order.
Chapter 629, Section 37: There must be an adequate supply of hot water. The hot water supplied to a home must be between 45°C and 60°C. To prevent burns, hot water at taps, showers, and tubs must not be hotter than 49°C. This limit does not apply to water going to dishwashers and clothes washers.
Chapter 629, Section 9: All properties must be kept free of pests, such as rats, mice, cockroaches, and bed bugs. Properties must also be kept free of conditions that attract pests. Owners and tenants both have a role in keeping a property clean and pest-free.
Chapter 629, Section 10 B: All parts of a property, including the yard, must be kept clean and free from buildups of litter, brush, garbage, junk, or other debris, and any conditions that are health, fire, or other hazards.
Chapter 629, Section 25: Each room must have at least nine square metres of floor area for each person. Minimum height is 1.95 metres over at least half of the floor area.
A habitable room is a room that is designed, lawfully used, or capable of being lawfully used for living, sleeping, cooking, or eating. It must be at least 2 metres wide in any direction and have a ceiling height of at least 1.95 metres over half of the room.
The maximum number of persons living in a habitable room cannot exceed one person for each nine square metres of habitable room floor area.
Chapter 629, Section 39: There must be adequate ventilation (fresh air flow) in all areas of a building. Every ventilation system or unit must be regularly cleaned, kept in good repair, and maintained in good working condition at all times.
Chapter 629, Section 19A: All stairs, verandas, porches, decks, loading docks, ramps, balconies, fire escapes and other similar structures must be kept in a safe, clean, sanitary condition and in good repair. The same applies to their treads, risers, guards, handrails and supports. They must be free from defects and hazards.
Chapter 629, Section 14: Retaining walls must be structurally sound and properly maintained. Unless the wall was designed to lean or slope, it must remain upright and not pose a safety hazard.
Chapter 629, Section 19B: Retaining walls that are more than 1 metre above the lower ground must have a safety guard on every open side where people can get to the top of the wall. The guard must be built and maintained to the standard for that type of property, including vacant land.
Chapter 629, Section 37A: The plumbing system of all properties must be kept in good working order, free from leaks or defects, protected from freezing, and kept clean and sanitary.
For issues with blocked drains in any rented residential property, contact your landlord or property manager. You should make your request in writing and keep a copy. If your landlord has a request form, use it.
If you own and live in your home and a drain is blocked, contact a plumber. If sewage is backing up or your basement is flooding, call 311 so Toronto Water can check the City sewer first. If the problem is not in the City’s pipes, you will be advised to call a licensed plumber.
Chapter 629, Section 20: Building roofs must be kept in good condition. They must be weatherproof, free of leaks, and free of loose or unsafe materials. Roofs must also be kept clear of dangerous buildups of snow, ice, or other hazards. Eavestroughs, gutters and downpipes must be kept in good repair and free of leaks and blockages.
If you rent your home, your landlord or property manager is responsible for repairing and maintaining the roof. In a condo building, the condo corporation usually looks after the roof.
Chapter 629, Sections 12 and 16: All structures on a property, including sheds, cabanas, detached garages, and storage buildings, must be kept safe and in good repair.
Property owners are responsible for maintaining these structures so they remain stable, structurally sound, and free from safety risks. This includes keeping foundations, walls, roofs, and supports in good condition.
Some accessory structures, like sheds and cabanas, may need a building permit. This depends on things like size, whether the structure is attached to another building, and whether it has plumbing. Even if you do not need a building permit, your structure must still follow the Zoning Bylaw. To find out if you need a permit, see When Do I Need a Building Permit? For application information, visit the Accessory Structures permit guide.
Chapter 629, Section 22: Garbage must be stored in suitable containers that are clean, leak-proof, and pest-proof, and have a tight-fitting lid. Garbage bags must be kept inside an enclosed garage or a covered container until it is time to put them out for collection. See the City’s proper waste set-out rules.
It is also required that garbage chutes, garbage rooms, storage areas, containers, and receptacles be cleaned and disinfected as often as needed to keep them clean and free of odours.
Areas used for storing garbage and waste must be kept clean and maintained in a way that:
Chapter 548 (Littering and Dumping): It is against the bylaw to throw, dump, or leave waste on a street or other land, except as the City’s waste collection rules allow. If waste is dumped or left on your land, you must clean it up right away.
RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards is a registration and bylaw enforcement program that helps make sure apartment building owners and property managers follow building maintenance standards.
The program applies to apartment buildings that were built to be rented, with three or more storeys and 10 or more rental units. Condo buildings, townhomes, and units in a private home (basement or main floor apartment) are not part of the RentSafeTO program. Long-term care homes, licensed retirement homes, and housing co-operatives are also not included.
Each building gets an evaluation score and a colour-coded rating, which must be posted near the building entrance. You can search building evaluation scores on the City’s website.
If you are a tenant in a RentSafeTO building, visit RentSafeTO for tenants. There, you can find out how to make a written request to your landlord and how the City can help. You can also look up your building’s evaluation score and any active violations.
Owners of apartment buildings in the RentSafeTO program must register each building with the City and renew the registration every year by July 31. If the building’s ownership changes, tell the City in writing within 30 days. Owners and property managers must also follow the program’s requirements. Learn how to register or renew your building with RentSafeTO, or see what building owners are required to do.
The City cannot assist with civil and legal matters between landlords and tenants. For these issues, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) or a lawyer:
For police-related matters, contact the Toronto Police Service. Call 911 in an emergency. For non-emergencies, call 416-808-2222.
Multi-tenant houses are commonly known as rooming houses. They are places where four or more rooms are rented to separate people, and tenants may share a kitchen or washroom. If you rent a room in a multi-tenant house and have a problem, such as pests, low or no heat, plumbing problems, or leaky ceilings, talk to your landlord first and submit a written request. Landlords must respond to urgent requests, such as no heat, electricity, gas, fuel, or hot or cold water, within 24 hours, and to other requests within seven days. If you get no action from your landlord and problems continue, contact 311 to have the City investigate. You can report problems in both licensed and unlicensed houses.
Learn how to make a written request to your landlord or submit a complaint to the City for multi-tenant houses.
If the condo unit is owner-occupied, the City will not investigate a complaint about the condition of that unit. If you are renting an apartment in a condo building and are experiencing a problem, please talk to your landlord first. If the problem is not addressed, you can contact 311 to have the City investigate.
Statues, monuments, and fountains are allowed if they are located entirely on private property, are kept in good condition, and do not block the view of drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. Fountains should also be kept clean and free of standing water.
Note: If a fountain can hold more than 600 millimetres (60 centimetres) of water, it is considered a swimming pool and must be enclosed with a fence or other approved barrier.
The City cannot help with civil or legal matters:
In co-operative (co-op) housing, the co-op board and its members are responsible for making sure the units are kept up to the Property Standards Bylaw. The City will investigate complaints only about the common areas of a co-op. You can contact 311 to have the City investigate.
A non-profit housing co-op is a corporation that is owned and operated by the people who live in it. These residents are called members, not tenants. Co-ops are not considered to be landlords, so the Residential Tenancies Act does not apply to their operations, and co-ops are not part of the RentSafeTO program. To learn more, see the City’s Co-operative Housing Information page or the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto.
The Vacant or Hazardous Property Bylaw applies to all vacant buildings and hazardous properties in Toronto. A hazardous property is an unsafe property that poses an immediate danger to the health or safety of people. If a property is hazardous, the owner or occupant must put up and maintain a fence to keep people out.
In addition to the requirements of the Property Standards Bylaw, the owner of a vacant building must:
The Property Standards Bylaw still applies to vacant buildings, so roofs, chimneys, and other parts of the building must also be kept safe and in good repair.
Vacant residential buildings may be subject to the Vacant Homes Tax.
A building may be ordered vacant if it is unsafe to live in. Different City divisions have the authority to issue orders that prevent people from occupying a building, depending on the situation:
When a building is ordered vacant, a notice will be posted on the property identifying the City division or agency that issued the order.
The Property Standards bylaw is about ensuring properties are properly maintained and repaired to protect the health and safety of people living, working or travelling in Toronto.
Residents can contact 311 to submit a complaint about a bylaw violation. If there is a complaint or information about a possible violation, Bylaw Enforcement Officers will review the complaint and if validated, investigate, educate and/or take enforcement actions. You will not be charged a fee for making a complaint or requesting an inspection.
The goal is to resolve issues and ensure that property owners/operators and occupants are following the bylaws. Each issue is addressed on a case-by-case basis to make sure reasonable, fair and appropriate actions are taken. For example, in some cases the issue may be resolved through education. In other cases, further enforcement action may be required.
If a property owner/operator or occupant does not comply with the Property Standards Bylaw, they may be issued an order under the Building Code Act (under section 15.2 or 15.7), a set fine (as indicated in the tables below), or a summons to appear before the Court.
A re-inspection fee, subject to an annual increase, will be applied if the City needs to re-inspect a property after issuing an Order to Comply. The 2026 fee is $186.78. Multiple re-inspection fees may be applied if needed.
If needed, the City may also carry out maintenance (remedial) work to ensure compliance. An inspection fee of $109.29/hour, subject to annual adjustment, applies for inspections related to the remedial action. The cost of carrying out the remedial work is a separate charge from the inspection fee. Both the inspection fee and the cost of the remedial work will be added to the property tax bill.
These fees were approved by City Council to recover the costs associated with additional inspections needed for property owners who are not in compliance with the Property Standards Bylaw.
Upon request, property owners or tenants can also obtain a copy of orders related to common elements within their buildings, free of charge.
Property owners can request a Compliance Certificate from their district office. The certificate shows the current status of any property standards orders issued for the property. A fee may apply for this service. At this time, fees are only charged in Etobicoke York district.
| Offence | Bylaw Provision | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Fail to comply with an order | 629-49.6A(1) | $1,000.00 |
| Fail to comply with a standard that is _____* | 629-49.6A(2) | $750.00 |
*blank completed with details of the offence
| Offence | Bylaw Provision | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Owner - fail to prevent entrance of unauthorized persons | 632-3B | $750.00 |
| Owner - fail to disconnect or secure utilities | 632-3E | $750.00 |
| Owner or Occupant - fail to erect or maintain fencing | 632-4A | $750.00 |
The City began reviewing the Property Standards bylaw in 2019 in response to Council directives, but work was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic as resources needed to be redirected to emergency response and recovery. This work included extensive consultations and outreach through public opinion research, community pop ups, meetings with tenant and landlord associations and advocacy and housing interest groups.
In June 2022, City Council considered the Phase 1 staff report and adopted amendments and directions related to these matters. The outcomes included changes to improve enforcement and address snow and ice removal, vacant and hazardous properties, and entry onto neighbouring property. The review also resulted in further direction on elevator repair standards and mediation for disputes involving surveillance cameras and right of entry.
The Review of Chapter 629 and Other Property Maintenance Regulations staff report was adopted by City Council at its meeting on June 15 & 16, 2022. Learn more about the council decision.
In January 2025, the City initiated Phase 2 of a multi-year review of the Property Standards Bylaw. Phase 2 of the review was initiated to address outstanding issues from Phase 1, respond to additional City Council directives and align property standards requirements with the 2024 Ontario Building Code. The review included:
In November 2025, City Council considered the Phase 2 staff report and adopted ammendments and directions related to these matters. The outomes included a comprehensive rewrite of Chapter 629 to modernize and simplify the by-law which included a direction to clarify property owner responsibilities and improve enforceability. Council also adopted the new Chapter 611, Pest Management on Private Property, and approved related updates related to vacant properties, Property Standards Committee reporting and the Vital Services By-law. The rewritten Chapter 629 and new Chapter 611 will come into effect on May 1, 2027.
The Property Standards By-law: Phase II Review and Other Property Items staff report was adopted by City Council at its meeting on November 12 and 13, 2025. Learn more about the council decision.
Type (don’t copy and paste) your email address into the box below and then click “Subscribe” to receive information related to the City of Toronto’s review of the bylaws governing housing, apartment buildings (RentSafeTO) and property standards.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. The information is used to allow the City to send you an email to confirm your wish to subscribe to a City of Toronto e-notice. Questions about this collection may be directed to the ListServ Administrator, Strategic Communications Division, City of Toronto, Toronto City Hall, 7th floor, West Tower, Toronto M5H 2N2. Email: webfeedback@toronto.ca. By subscribing to one of the City of Toronto’s e-updates you are providing express consent, as defined by the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), to receive email updates from the City of Toronto.