Toronto Tenants, Make Your Voices Heard! Consultation on Landlord Licensing Starts Tuesday, August 30: Domenico Di Luca Community Recreation Centre, 25 Stanley Rd., 6:30pm-8:30pm and Wednesday, August 31: Scarborough Village Community Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd., 6:30pm-8:30pm

Dear Residents,

As the Chair of Toronto’s Tenant Issues Committee, I encourage all of our city's renters to make their voices heard as the City begins consultation on Landlord Licensing next week.

I have been working with tenants from across Toronto, tenant advocates, Acorn and the Federation of Metro Toronto Tenants' Associations on an initiative to hold landlords accountable for keeping their multi-residential buildings in good repair. Some already do, and recognize their responsibilities, but far too many do not.

Our goal, in advocating for Landlord Licensing, is to see that all Toronto tenants have safe, clean and healthy homes that have adequate heat, functioning appliances, and are free of bedbugs. In short, the basics for a good quality of life.

After many months of hard work, I was pleased that the vast majority of my colleagues at Council voted to move forward with consultation on a new licensing framework. 

Municipal Licensing and Standards Staff are now seeking public input to develop a new program to support tenants. The intended goals of the program are to promote best practices in building maintenance, strengthening enforcement of property standards violations and improving tenant engagement and access to information.  

Tenants and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to contribute to:

• Developing the goals of the new program
• Identifying recommendations related to:
  • current challenges and/or gaps in regulation
  • proposed development of a multi-residential rental property licence
  • rules governing the operations of multi-residential rental properties, such as building maintenance and cleaning plans
  • enhancing the current building audit program and enforcement of property standards violations
  • Improving public access to information about rental buildings, identifying other opportunities, options and ideas to improve living conditions in rental housing

The City will hold five consultation meetings to obtain public input:

• Wednesday, August 17: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 308/309, 6:30pm-8:30pm
• Saturday, August 20: Broadlands Community Centre, 19 Castlegrove Blvd., 11am-1pm
• Wednesday, August 24: Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, Meeting Room 1/2/3, 6:30pm-8:30pm
• Tuesday, August 30: Domenico Di Luca Community Recreation Centre, 25 Stanley Rd., 6:30pm-8:30pm
• Wednesday, August 31: Scarborough Village Community Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd., 6:30pm-8:30pm

Staff are developing a survey to provide opportunity for further input. More details are available here. 

Please contact Intiaz Ruffudeen at iruffude@toronto.ca or 416-338-3478, if you have any questions.

For more information please see this news article.

Thank you for making your voice heard.

Sincerely,

Josh