RentSafeTO for Building Owners – Service Requests & Response Times

Tenant Service Requests

You must develop a process for receiving and tracking tenant requests for repairs and other issues, such as graffiti, long grass and weeds, litter and garbage, etc.

Example of an urgent service request:

At 8 a.m., a tenant notices that the lock on their door is broken. The tenant fills out a service request form. This will be an urgent request based on the safety and security of the unit. The landlord communicates with the tenant that this will be fixed by noon on the same day as it is an urgent matter. The landlord also provides a copy of the service request form and response to the tenant and keeps a copy for his/her records.

Requirements

  • Keep records of requests and the responses for 24 months, and show them to City staff if requested
  • Respond to urgent requests within 24 hours. Requests are urgent if they are related to the disruption of the following vital services:
    • hydro (electricity)
    • gas
    • heat
    • water
    • breach of building security
    • problems with the outside of the building
  • Respond to non-urgent requests within seven days
  • A record should be created for each request and must include:
    • date and time of service request
    • location of issue (including unit number)
    • nature of issue
    • tenant name and contact information
    • determination of whether it is an urgent or non-urgent request
    • details of response and action taken by building owner
  • You must be able to provide a copy of the information collected from the tenant
  • You must keep copies of all responses made by the owner or operator in relation to the service request

You must create and maintain the following records/logs for two years (24 months):

  • Information regarding tenant service requests and responses
  • Log of scheduled and unscheduled waste management activities, including the date and location
  • Log of scheduled and unscheduled pest inspections, including:
    • date and location of proactive and reactive inspections
    • name of pest management operator
    • inspection results
    • recommended treatment, if any
  • Log of all pest treatment activities, including:
    • date and location of treatment
    • name of pest management operator
    • nature of the treatment
  • Log of service and maintenance of appliances that burn fuel, such as hot water furnaces or boilers, and heating, cooling, ventilation and plumbing systems including:
    • date and nature of service
    • name of licensed contractor
  • Log of service and maintenance conducted on building electrical systems including:
    • date and nature of service
    • name of certified tradesperson, agent or Licenced Electrical Contractor
  • Log of scheduled and unscheduled cleaning activities, including:
    • the nature of the activity
    • the date and location where it occurred
  • Information regarding the following fire safety elements:
    • approved fire safety plan
    • annual fire alarm and voice communication system test records
    • annual sprinkler test records (if applicable)
    • emergency power supply test records
    • annual fire pump flow test records for elevators
  • If you have questions regarding fire safety elements, contact 311 to speak to Toronto Fire Services