RentSafeTO Building Evaluations & Audits

City staff attend Toronto apartment buildings to conduct various inspections, including RentSafeTO building evaluations and building audits.

Building evaluations are done for every registered building in Toronto and are used to establish the building’s overall evaluation score. The evaluation score will determine if a full building audit is required. Evaluation scores are made public through the City of Toronto’s Open Data portal. Details about the most recent building evaluation must be posted on the Tenant Notification Board.

Building audits differ from building evaluations. Audits are conducted on buildings with low evaluation scores and include a comprehensive inspection of all common areas from rooftop to basement, as well as a tenant engagement component.

During the building evaluation, a Bylaw Enforcement Officer will complete an inspection of the apartment building, including but not limited to:

  • Amenities: such as laundry rooms, swimming pools and recreational areas
  • Common areas: including the lobby, stairwells and hallways (state of floors, walls, windows and ceilings)
  • Elevators: including availability, maintenance and condition of cab
  • Exterior building: including condition of cladding/bricks/paint, flashing and drain pipes
  • Exterior grounds: including condition of walkways and retaining walls, maintenance of grass, trees, and shrubs and presence of garbage
  • Garbage and recycling management: including chutes, storage and screening
  • Lighting: including condition of fixtures and confirming all common areas are well-lit
  • Mandatory plans: including, but not limited to, cleaning plan, electrical maintenance plan, state of good repair plan (capital plan), waste management plan and vital service disruption plan
  • Mechanical systems: such as heating and ventilation
  • Parking facilities and garages: including lighting, condition of paint and pavement and signage
  • Security systems: such as cameras, self-closing external doors and intercom systems
  • Tenant Notification Board: including compliance with section 354-3.2 of Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings
  • Overall cleanliness of the building and common areas

The building owner will be provided with a report of the inspection findings and the building’s evaluation score. Details about the most recent building evaluation must be posted on the Tenant Notification Board.

The overall evaluation score will determine next steps for City action. For example, a full audit will be undertaken for a low-scoring buildings. In this instance, the building owner will be notified when the full building audit is scheduled to occur.

There is no cost to the building owner for a City-initiated RentSafeTO building evaluation, as it is included in the registration fee.

An apartment building audit differs from a building evaluation. A building audit includes a comprehensive inspection of all common areas from rooftop to basement, underground elements (such as parking garages) and exterior grounds. The overall evaluation score will be used to determine if a full building audit is required.

Building audits include a tenant engagement process. The tenant engagement process is used to inform tenants about the RentSafeTO program and to receive investigation requests from tenants for issues in their unit or in the building. Units may be inspected during the audit for tenants who file investigation requests.

Depending on the result of the building audit, the City may issue Property Standards Orders or other documentation, such as Notice(s) of Violation. Depending on the situation, charges can be issued or the City may undertake remedial action.

Building owners will receive a notice from the City if their building will be subject to an audit. Information about upcoming building audits must be posted 30 days before on the Tenant Notification Board.

Information about audit-related fees can be found on the RentSafeTO Fees & Fines webpage.