Brampton Will Resume Bylaw to Protect Tenants from Cold This Weekend

Brampton | Ontario | Latest News |

Published September 29, 2017 at 1:17 am

Bramptonians know how unseasonably hot it has been this fall. Now, it’s cooling down, and with that, the city will officially be resuming a bylaw that aims to protect tenants from cold weather.

Bramptonians know how unseasonably hot it has been this fall. Now, it’s cooling down, and with that, the city will officially be resuming a bylaw that aims to protect tenants from cold weather.

The City of Brampton has announced that the Adequate Heat Bylaw will resume this Sunday, October 1.

You may or may not be aware that a bylaw exists in Brampton where, among other vital services, adequate and suitable heat must be provided by a landlord in rental accommodations in the colder months between September 15 and June 1 to a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius. There is no requirement of landlords to turn off air conditioning by a certain date. 

Enforcement of the Adequate Heat Bylaw was temporarily suspended on September 22 due to forecasted unseasonably high temperatures.

Earlier this week, there had been some talk about how this bylaw can have unintended consequences. More specifically, landlords were being implored to switch off their heat – even though it was past September 15 – because residents were saying that having the heat regulated inside and facing the heat outside was unbearable.

Here in Brampton, city councillors understood the situation as well, and voted to amend the bylaw. So, the bylaw did not have to be enforced even though it was after September 15. 

“The safety of Brampton residents remains of the utmost importance to the City of Brampton. Landlords are asked to continue to exercise flexibility in regulating heat in their buildings, particularly during extreme weather,” said the City in a statement.

Basically, landlords should show understanding in keeping tenants comfortable.

You might be thinking that this bylaw seems outdated or unjust. Not to worry, the City will be putting the Adequate Heat Bylaw under further review for consideration by city councillors by April 2018.

The revision remains to be seen, but hopefully, it’ll combat unseasonable temperatures in the future.

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