New by-laws are being put in place to help prevent common issues with rental housing.
The City’s Rental Housing Property Management By-law comes into force on Tuesday, August 31.The By-law outlines specific obligations for both landlords and tenants for rental property, with a focus on preventing common issues associated with rental housing.
Although the Province regulates most aspects of the tenant-landlord relationship under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, the City has enacted a number of by-laws that have an impact on rental housing in Ottawa, including property standards and maintenance, noise control, and heat, among others.
Here’s a summary of some of the key things you will find about landlord and tenant obligations in the new Rental Housing Property Management By-law:
Five things landlords are required to do:
- Maintain a capital maintenance plan
- Establish a procedure for tenant service requests
- Maintain a tenant support registry
- Create and distribute an information for tenants document
- Develop an integrated pest-management plan
Five things tenants are required to do:
- Let your landlord know about any repairs needed in your unit
- Read and sign the information for tenants document provided by your landlord
- Report a pest infestation, or suspected infestation, to your landlord
- Cooperate with landlords on pest control and follow pest treatment plans
- Comply with all City by-laws, including those regulating noise and solid waste.
You can also find important information about landlord and tenant rights and obligations under provincial law at ontario.ca.
Something else tenants should know about:
Under the Rental Housing Property Management By-law, landlords must create a tenant support registry to record requests from tenants for support. Some things that a tenant may request support for are:
- Evacuating from the building in case of an emergency
- Preparing their unit for pest treatment
- Explaining complex rental documents
- Any other accommodations that may be required under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, or the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.
Landlords and tenants should make sure they know about these rules, regulations, and expectations in order to prevent problems from occurring.
