RentSafeTO Colour-Coded Signs

In October 2025, City Council updated the Apartment Building Standards Bylaw to introduce colour-coded signs for RentSafeTO buildings.

Building owners and operators must now display these colour-coded signs – green, yellow or red. The signs are designed to make building conditions more transparent and easier to understand. It provides clear, accessible information for tenants and the public, helping everyone see how buildings are performing and where improvements may be needed.

Each RentSafeTO building is assigned a green, yellow or red sign based on its most recent building score.

These colour-coded signs help tenants and the public better understand the conditions at apartment buildings. Tenants and members of the public can contact 311 to report missing or inaccurate signs.

The building’s score will determine the colour of the sign:

Green (85–100%)

Satisfactory

The building meets most or all City maintenance standards and has few or no violations.

 

 

 

 

Yellow (70–84%)

Needs Improvement

The building meets some City maintenance standards and may have some violations.

 

 

 

 

Red (0–69%)

Needs Significant Improvement

The building meets few City maintenance standards and may have several violations.

Important note: a red sign does not mean that a building is unsafe or uninhabitable, and it does not mean that a building is closed. Rather, a red sign means that the building meets few RentSafeTO maintenance standards and may have several violations. The City will be taking enhanced enforcement action to bring owners into compliance with RentSafeTO maintenance standards

Building owners and operators are required to:

  • Post the colour-coded sign near the main entrance of each building, reflecting the most recent colour assigned to the building.
  • Replace the sign within 14 calendar days if building owners and operators are notified that their building’s colour has changed.
  • Inform tenants and prospective tenants of the colour rating that each building has received:
    • Before a lease is signed,
    • After a lease is signed,
    • Once every year.
  • Provide the building’s colour rating to anyone who requests.

To help building owners comply with these requirements, the City will be providing support and resources, especially during the early rollout.

Building conditions can change over time. If the building’s score moves into a different colour rating, building owners and operators:

  • Will be notified by email and,
  • Must post the new sign within 14 calendar days.

After that time, a bylaw enforcement officer may visit the building to confirm that the correct sign is posted. Not updating the sign may result in a ticket or charges.

To find out building scores, building owners/operators can:

Lost or damaged signs

If signs are lost or damaged, email RentSafeTO@toronto.ca to request replacement signs. There is a replacement fee, which is adjusted annually for inflation. The most current fee is listed on RentSafeTO Fees & Fines.

Targeted engagement

Targeted engagement will now be conducted:

  • At properties where the building score drops by 5% or more for two months in a row due to orders and notices being issued.
  • When a building has a red sign for two months in a row.

Requesting a building re-evaluation

  • Re‑evaluations can now be requested at any time during the year, even if the building was not evaluated that year.
  • A re-evaluation can provide a more up-to-date building score to reflect improvements made over time.
  • A re‑evaluation fee applies, and the fee is listed on RentSafeTO Fees & Fines.

Building audits

Both proactive evaluation and reactive scores are now used to determine which buildings are audited. Buildings with scores in the lowest 2.5% of all evaluated buildings that year will be prioritized for audit.

This change helps the City focus on buildings with the greatest risks and/or ongoing issues.
Date modified: June 18, 2026