Toronto landlords urged to turn off heat "immediately" amid high temperatures

May 16 2022, 8:00 pm

As temperatures soared above 25°C on Sunday, some Toronto tenants were left to roast in even hotter apartments.

Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow took to Twitter urging landlords to turn off their building’s heat “immediately.”

“You will not be fined if you use common sense to protect your tenants’ health and safety,” Matlow tweeted. “It’s hot out. I’ve heard from many renters today who are roasting in apartments with the heat still on.”

Several people responded to Matlow’s message to say their apartments reached 30°C or higher.

Under Toronto’s heat bylaw, landlords are responsible for heating apartments to a minimum of 21°C between September 15 and June 1. Failing to do so carries hefty fines.

However, if outdoor temperatures are high enough that a building would reach the 21°C minimum without heating, landlords are legally allowed to turn it off. This applies during the “shoulder seasons” of May 1 to June 1 and September 15 to October 15.

Nearly a year ago to the day, the City of Toronto issued a release urging landlords to “use their judgement” and turn off the heat on warm spring days.

“If Mother Nature is turning up the temperature, landlords have a responsibility to turn off the heat,” Matlow said at the time.

Daily Hive has contacted the City of Toronto for more information and will update this story accordingly. 

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