FAQ About Rent Room

Questions:

1. What temperature must my landlord keep my apartment at?
2. How much can my landlord raise the rent?
3. Can my landlord evict me for having a pet?
4. Check your answer: ow.ly/3kLvL

Answers:

1. The temperatures are set under municipal bylaws. If you are not the cause for the cold temperatures, such as by keeping your windows open, or setting a thermostat to a lower temperature, then the landlord has a responsibility to maintain a minimum temperature as set by the municipality/city you live in. If the landlord is not meeting the minimums, you can complain to the city's Building and Inspections department or your city councillor.
   Information for some cities and towns are:
   In Barrie it is 20C (68F) year round under the Barrie apartment heat bylaw 84-200 Section 32
   Belleville is 21C (70F) from September 15 to May 31 under they bylaw 2000-45
   Brampton is 20C (68F) from September 15 to June 1. Brampton Heat Bylaw
   Cornwall is 21C by day and 16C by night, from Oct. 1 to April 30, with no definition of day or night, under Section 2.35, Heating System, of the Property Standards By-law. If these requirements are not being met you may call for a Property Standards Inspector (613) 930-2787.
   Guelph is 21C (70F). If it isn't warm enough call the Building Dept. Property Standards at (519) 837-5615
   Hamilton is now 20C (68F) from September 1 to May 31, (which was lowered from the previous 22C level,) under 2004 bylaw 04-091 Hamilton apartment heating by-law.
   Kingston is 21.1C (70F) from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 18.8C (66F) the rest of the day from September 15 to June 1, Kingston minimum apartment temperature heat bylaw.
   Kitchener is 21C (70F) year round under their bylaws for Property Maintenance, chapter 640.
   London is 20C (68F) from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 18C (65F) the rest of the day from September 15 to June 15, under the London apartment heat by-lawCity of London, Vital Services By-law PH-6, section 3.4
   In Mississauga it is 20C (68F) from September 15 to June 1. Mississauga Apartment Heat Bylaw 365-95
   In Niagara Falls it is 21C (70F) from September 15 to May 31 under By-Law 98-50.
   In North Bay it is 21C (70F) year round. North Bay' adequate heat bylaw 193-81 in Adobe PDF Format.
   Oakville is 21C (70F). If it is not warm enough call the Halton Environmental Health office at (905) 825-6000.
   Oshawa is 20C (68F) from September 15 to June 15.
   Ottawa is 20C (68F) from 6:00 a.m. to 11 p.m., and 16.7C (62F) from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., year round, under Ottawa Apartment Heat By-law #201-89. If your apartment is too cold in Ottawa, the number to call is (613) 311.
   Peterborough is 21C (70F) from September 15 to May 31 Property Standards - 599 Adequate Heat in Rental Accommodations (Adobe PDF document)
   Richmond Hill is 20C (68F) year round.
   Sarnia is 21C by day and 18C by night (from 11:01p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) under bylaw 16 of 1994.
   Sault Ste. Marie under bylaw 3627 is 20C (68F) year round.
   St. Catharines is 20C from September 15 to May 31 under By-law #66-48 "A By-law to require adequate heat for rented dwelling accomocadation" from 1966 and amended in 1983
   Sudbury is 21C (70F) year round, under By-law #2001-200.
   Thunder Bay it is 21C (70F) year round. Property Maintenance - Chapter 831 Heat in Rented Dwellings a 730k Adobe PDF file
   Timmins is 21C (70F) year round under Section 2.7 of the Maintenance and Occupancy By-Law 98-5118.
   Waterloo is 21C (70F) under the Heating Systems section of the Property Standards By-law 94-16 If there is not sufficient heat you can call Standards enforcement at (519) 747-8557, or contact your City Councillor.
   Windsor is 21.11C (70F) from September 15 to June 15 under by-law 1152.
   If you need to contact your city/town or your city councillor about this you can find their web page at the city links above.
   In Toronto the temperature must be a minimum of 21C (70 Fahrenheit) from September 15 to June 1 according to Chapter 497-2 of the Toronto Municipal Code under bylaw 499-2000 Toronto Apartment Minimum Temperature by-law. The numbers to call are: 338-0338
2. The landlord can raise the rent only once every 12 months for as long as you remain in that unit. The landlord must give you at least 90 days' notice in writing of any rent increase, or you do not have to pay the increase, but you still have to pay the rent.The Annual Guideline Increase is an amount set each year by the government. The "Annual Guideline Increase" is 2.1% for 2010. For previous years see the: Ontario Rent Increase Guidelines.
3. You do not have to move or get rid of the pet unless the Board issues a written order to do so.Only if the pet is dangerous, causes allergic reactions or causes problems for other tenants or the landlord, must you get rid of your pet or consider moving elsewhere as per Landlord application to terminate tenancy based on animals.Even if you signed a lease with a "no pets" clause, if the pet is not a problem for anybody they can not enforce it; such no pets clauses are invalid under the law.