Council quashes push for Toronto-style apartment inspections
CTV
Slumlords were squarely in the crosshairs of city council on Tuesday evening, but how to best ensure renters have safe and properly maintained housing proved divisive.
Slumlords were squarely in the crosshairs of city council on Tuesday evening, but how to best ensure renters have safe and properly maintained housing proved divisive.
After a council committee was deadlocked three weeks ago, Coun. Jesse Helmer renewed his motion calling for a budget business case on a rental inspection program modelled after Toronto’s RentSafeTO.
“We’ve heard from some members of the Tenant Landlord Taskforce that they’d like to weigh in on this idea and talk about it, and having a business case come forward to the next multi-year budget give plenty of time for that,” Helmer told his council colleagues.
RentSafeTO is a municipal program inspecting apartment buildings every three years in Toronto to ensure proper maintenance.
Buildings that score low can be subject to greater scrutiny and penalties for not completing essential repairs in a timely manner.
Civic administration at city hall estimates a similar program in London would require hiring 37 more bylaw officers and an equal number of fire prevention officers.
“Before building more bureaucracy, let’s make sure when there’s a complaint or a problem, we have a way for it to be fixed,” argued Coun. Michael van Holst.
