On March 31, 2024, a city-wide regulatory framework for multi-tenant houses (also known as rooming houses) came into effect. More information about the regulatory framework, licensing requirements for operators, and support for tenants can be found on the Multi-Tenant (Rooming) Houses page.
Multi-tenant houses in the City of Toronto must comply with the Ontario Building Code. A building permit is required for the construction and/or demolition of a new building, the construction of an addition, and the material alteration of any building or structure. A building permit is also required when changing the use of a building if the change would result in an increase in hazard as determined in accordance with the Ontario Building Code (e.g., changing the use of a building from a house with a single dwelling unit to a house with multiple dwelling units) even if no construction is proposed.
A building permit will not be issued for the construction of a new multi-tenant house or the conversion of an existing building to a multi-tenant house unless there is compliance with the Building Code Act, the Ontario Building Code and all other applicable law as defined in the Ontario Building Code. Toronto Building staff are available to discuss the permit application process for multi-tenant houses. For questions on current applications, please contact Toronto Building Customer Experience.
To assist designers and operators of multi-tenant houses with navigating the range of options to achieve Ontario Building Code compliance, Toronto Building engaged a third-party Building Code Consultant to undertake an evaluation the Ontario Building Code requirements for multi-tenant houses. In February of 2024, the City’s Planning and Housing Committee adopted the staff report “PH 10.1: Evaluation of Ontario Building Code Requirements for Multi-Tenant Houses”. The staff report provides an overview of Ontario Building Code compliance pathways and a summary of the work undertaken by the Building Code Consultant.
The third-party Building Code Consultant’s report, “Multi-Tenant Housing – Ontario Building Code Evaluation Report”, (the “Consultant’s Report”) is being made available as a reference to support designers when applying the Ontario Building Code to multi-tenant housing buildings and to assist designers with navigating potential avenues for compliance. The Consultant’s Report is not intended to be a technical design guide.
Under the Building Code Act, it is the role of the designer to prepare and provide designs in support of building permit applications which are in accordance with the Building Code Act and the Ontario Building Code. It is thus the role of the designer, and not the role of Toronto Building, to provide solutions for compliance with the Ontario Building Code for a proposed multi-tenant house. As laid out in the Consultant’s Report, the pathway to compliance with the Ontario Building Code will depend on the specific circumstances surrounding the subject building. The Consultant’s Report is thus only intended to be an aid to assist designers and is not a guarantee of compliance nor a guarantee that a building permit will be issued. All building permit applications for multi-tenant housing will be reviewed by Toronto Building in the ordinary course. The City of Toronto accepts no responsibility or liability for any reliance placed by any party on the contents of the Consultant’s Report.
It is also noted that the Consultant’s Report was based on the 2012 Ontario Building Code and not the 2024 Ontario Building Code which comes into effect on January 1, 2025. It is incumbent on designers to ensure that designs are being prepared with reference to the applicable Building Code.
By making the Consultant’s Report available for reference, the City is also meeting a commitment under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) application focused on creating more affordable housing faster in neighbourhoods across Toronto. Information on the “Federal Housing Accelerator Fund – Supporting Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System” report is also available on the City’s website.