The City of Toronto continues to strengthen protections for apartment tenants through its RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards program, a city-wide initiative aimed at ensuring rental buildings remain safe, clean, and properly maintained. The program places clear responsibilities on landlords and property owners while increasing transparency for tenants across the city.
RentSafeTO applies to apartment buildings that are three or more storeys tall and contain at least 10 rental units. Under the program, building owners are required to register their properties with the City and renew their registration annually. The City conducts regular building evaluations, audits, and inspections to monitor compliance with maintenance and safety bylaws.
One of the program’s major goals is improving accountability in Toronto’s rental housing market. Apartment buildings receive evaluation scores based on building conditions, including cleanliness, security systems, mechanical systems, exterior grounds, and common areas. These scores are publicly available through the City’s online RentSafeTO portal, allowing current and prospective tenants to review a building’s maintenance history before signing a lease.
The City has also introduced a colour-coded rating system similar to restaurant inspection programs. Buildings may display green, yellow, or red signs near entrances to indicate whether a property is satisfactory, needs improvement, or requires significant repairs. City officials believe the system will help tenants make more informed housing decisions while encouraging landlords to maintain higher property standards.
RentSafeTO includes several important requirements for landlords. Property owners must maintain indoor temperatures at a minimum of 21°C between October 1 and May 15. If a building offers air conditioning, it must generally operate between June 1 and September 30. Beginning in 2026, buildings without air conditioning inside rental units may also be required to provide cooled indoor amenity spaces maintained at or below 26°C during the summer months.
The program also prevents landlords from renting units that have unresolved property standard violations, pest issues, or interrupted vital services such as heat, electricity, or water. Additionally, landlords must provide new tenants with information about the RentSafeTO program and disclose the building’s most recent evaluation score when signing a lease.
City officials say the initiative was created to protect tenants and preserve Toronto’s aging rental housing stock. Buildings that receive low evaluation scores may face comprehensive audits and additional enforcement measures. Property owners who fail to comply with city bylaws can also face escalating fines and penalties.
Housing advocates have welcomed the increased transparency but continue to call for stronger enforcement and faster repairs in buildings with recurring maintenance problems. Still, RentSafeTO remains one of Toronto’s primary tools for improving living conditions and strengthening accountability in the rental housing sector.
