Ontario Construction News staff writer
A new bylaw in Hamilton aims to improve maintenance at rental apartments and protect tenants from renovictions starting January 1.
The Safe Apartment Buildings program is designed to ensure clean and secure housing for renters while assisting landlords in keeping up quality standards, according to a city statement.
This bylaw mandates annual registration for rental apartment buildings that have two or more stories and six or more units.
It also introduces evaluations with public scores based on maintenance practices and standards. Additionally, it encourages transparent processes for tenant service requests so issues within units can be resolved quickly, as stated by the city.
Passed by Hamilton city council in 2024, this bylaw doesn’t apply to condominiums, long-term care facilities, licensed residential care or retirement homes, lodging homes, or housing cooperatives.
City staff plan to evaluate the maintenance and cleaning practices, health and safety measures, and customer service at around 900 larger rental complexes by September 2027.
Building operators are required to create annual plans covering pest control, cleanliness, and “state-of-good-repair” maintenance.
The registration comes with a $60-per-unit fee. Nonprofits and subsidized units are exempt from this fee but will still need to cover costs for audits and fines.
Landlords must share copies of their plans with tenants who request them. They are also required to establish a process for handling service requests along with a related log – plus they must hire certified professionals for service calls.
The Hamilton and District Apartment Association has mentioned that the program adds inspection requirements that duplicate existing provincial rules, diverting resources away from necessary repairs and investments in aging buildings.
Source link
Source link
