Toronto Takes Tough Measures: If Landlords Don't Fix Their Properties, the Government Will Step In and Send the Bill to You!
Following an inspection of an apartment building in dire need of repairs, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow issued a warning to landlords: if landlords fail to maintain their properties, the city government should step in to carry out the repairs and bill the landlords for the costs.
However, data from the city government shows that since 2021 (when this power was only exercised once), Toronto has not enforced this authority. Despite Mayor Chow's push for the city government to be more proactive in using this tool, it was approved in a motion at the city council meeting in May this year.
If the city government intervenes to carry out repairs, an hourly fee of CAD 74.36 will be charged and added to the landlord's property tax bill.
The mayor proposed a motion requiring city staff to ensure that Toronto has a list of contractors available for dispatch in emergencies to maintain the habitability of buildings.
The city government's website states that in some cases, problems can be resolved through education of landlords, while in other cases further action is needed. The 2024 RentSafeTO report also noted that the enforcement team aims to "work with building owners."
In a statement, the city government said that the goal of RentSafeTO is to achieve compliance through "gradual enforcement actions" and reminded tenants that they should first report any issues to their landlords when encountering problems. The statement also noted that remedial measures would only be taken in "exceptional circumstances."
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834939620787200/
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