If you are having issues with the apartment you are renting such as as plumbing problems, leaky ceilings, pests, low or no heat, or problems in the common areas of the building, you must talk with your landlord or property owner first.
Your landlord/property owner is required to respond to urgent service requests within 24 hours. Service requests are urgent if they are related to vital services, such as:
Non-urgent service requests need to be responded to within seven days.
If your complaints is unresolved and problems persist, you can connect with 311 to create a service request, via the mobile app or by phone.
Make service requests in writing and keep a copy of your requests. Your landlord must track these service requests and keep copies from the past 24 months. You can request to see your records. Learn more about landlord record-keeping requirements.
If you submit a complaint (service request) to the City through 311, you can check the status using the reference number provided to you. Enter your reference number in the Status Tracking box at the bottom of the toronto.ca and click “GO.”
You can also check the history of bylaw violations at an address.
Once you submit a complaint (service request) through 311, a bylaw enforcement officer will reach out to you to gather more information about your complaint.
If your complaint is urgent and related to vital services, City staff will respond within 24 hours. If your complaint is about a non-urgent issue, the team aims to respond within five business days.
The bylaw enforcement officer may request photos and a copy of the service request submitted to the building owner or operator. Should you fail to respond to the officer within a reasonable amount of time, the file will be closed.
Once you have submitted a complaint (service request) to the City, you can escalate it if:
You can escalate your complaint by contacting 311. You will then be provided with the name and contact number of the Supervisor responding to your complaint.
The City will contact you by phone or email, and advise you on the actions that the City has taken to address your complaint and if it has been resolved.
If you do not respond, you will receive a notification by email or mail, advising you that the service request will be closed and that you can contact City staff by a certain date if have any further questions.
After that date passes, new service requests must be submitted to 311.
Service requests for property standards are categorized into three levels of response.
Priority 1 service requests includes matters that present health and safety issues, consist of vital services, or has an imminent impact to life safety. The City aims to contact you within 24 hours for issues related to:
Priority 2 non-urgent service requests includes new or recurring service requests that require a time-specific appointment to obtain photographic evidence, conduct a site assessment, and/or collect witness statements. The City aims to contact you within five days for service requests related to:
Priority 3 non-urgent service requests includes first time offences that does not meet the criteria for a Priority 1 or 2 response and may be resolved without a physical inspection. The City aims to contact you within 10 days for service requests related to:
More information is available on the ML&S Customer Service Standards webpage.