Tenants deserve to have safe and comfortable homes where their right to reasonable enjoyment of their tenancy is protected. That is why we are calling on the Ford Government to take legislative action to ensure tenants can stay safe and comfortable in their homes during the hottest months of the year.
We are calling on the Ford government to move forward with:
- Working with public health units to establish a provincial maximum temperature to ensure rental units are safe, and a tenants’ right to a reasonable enjoyment of their unit is maintained. Many jurisdictions have ruled that 26 degrees is a fair maximum temperature standard, including Toronto, Mississauga, and Ajax.
- Enshrining in the Residential Tenancies Act a tenants’ right to safely use window air conditioning units in accordance with all bylaws.
- Protection for tenants against landlord harassment, including repeated threats to evict tenants for safely using window air conditioning units in accordance with all bylaws.
- Upgrading Ontario’s building code and investing in a green jobs retrofit program to make housing more green and energy-efficient, including community housing and purpose-built rental buildings, while not burdening tenants with unfair rent hikes.
- Partnering with municipalities to grow urban forests to reduce the heat island effect and lower temperatures in towns and cities.
Add your name if you agree.