Toronto council has approved a new, regulatory bylaw that will hold landlords to higher standards for maintaining apartment rentals.
Council nearly unanimously passed the motion with a 41-1 vote on Wednesday, with Giorgio Mammoliti, the lone councillor, voting against it.
The new regulations will come into effect July 1 for rental properties three-or-more-storeys high, and with 10 or more units for rent. It sets a number of requirements for building owners to maintain cleanliness, address tenant complaints and provide pest control.
Owners will be required to register with the city on an annual basis with a registration fee of $10.60.
Landlords are expected to develop processes for receiving and tracking tenant requests, with urgent requests dealt with within 24 hours and non-urgent requests within a period of a week.
As for inspecting pests, both indoor and outdoor building common areas must be inspected at least once a month, and any area inspected within 72 hours of a complaint being filed.
Landlords will also be held accountable for developing a cleaning plan for all areas accessible to tenants and the public, with inspections of common areas at least once a day.
If a landlord is found to have violated any portion of the bylaw, they could face a hefty $100,000 fine.
The bylaw does not apply to co-op housing buildings, long-term care facilities or licenced retirement homes.
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