Developed by the City of Toronto
A Records Management Policy outlines your corporation’s processes and procedures for records management.
Under the terms of your Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) Service Agreement with the City, you are required to comply with certain records management criteria. In addition, the Housing Services Act (HSA) has rules about keeping records.
Considerations
In creating a policy, the board must give clear guidelines for directors and staff to follow. Decide the following and include it in your Records Management Policy:
- Who maintains the RGI files?
- How are files secured?
- How are the files organized?
- Who has access to the files?
- How are your files archived?
- Where are the files archived?
- Who authorizes destruction of records?
Your Records Management Policy must also ensure that you are in compliance with the HSA and the RGI Service Agreement with the City.
- O Reg. 367/11 sets standards for records management. You must keep the financial and project records from each fiscal year for at least 7 years as per the RGI service Agreement with the City of Toronto.
- Each housing provider must keep files for current RGI households. You must keep these files for at least 7 years after the household moves out.
- You must keep a written record of the decision to refuse to offer a unit to an applicant for 7 years. Documents about initial eligibility (application, status in Canada etc.) must be kept longer.
Create a checklist for each RGI file
For each household, make sure the file contains
- A chart or docket for keeping track of what you have done and when you did it. This will help ensure that you follow the correct procedures.
- The initial RGI application form including a
- consent form signed by all people in the household 16 years of age or older,
- a completed income and assets form,
- complete documents to verify income and assets, and
- a rental history record.
- Documents to verify each member’s status in Canada (this should be reconfirmed annually).
- A completed lease (for a non-profit) or occupancy agreement (for a co-op) signed by every household member 16 years of age or older.
- A written record of any review.
- RGI Rent calculation sheet (done at least annually).
- All notices of annual income and asset reviews (done annually).
- All completed annual income and asset review forms including proof of income documents (done annually).
- All notices of rent/housing charge changes (done at least annually).
- All correspondence to and from member of households.
Exemption: If a member of a special priority household feels that they may be at risk if they attempt to obtain documents to verify their income or family composition, the housing provider cannot require the documents.
