Toronto's New Heat Rule: Cool Down with RentSafeTO

0:00It's May 2nd. I'm Corey with the story. This is Canada News Today, driven by AI. Toronto landlords are about to face a new heat rule starting June 1st, 2026. If your apartment buildings in the rent-safe TO program and lacks in-unit air conditioning, owners must keep common areas like lobbies, gyms, and laundry rooms at 26 degrees Celsius or cooler from June 1st through September 30th. This aims to shield tenants from brutal summer scorchers without forcing new installs. Existing rules stay in play. Two units need at least 21 degrees Celsius from October 1st to May 15th. Buildings with air conditioning have to run it properly in summer to stay under 26 degrees and fix any breakdowns quick. Window units are fine as long as landlords handle safe setup and maintenance. Tenants. This means knowing your spotland lords got to tell you where and when those cooling zones are open. It's a big win for folks sweating through heatwaves, especially since Toronto's

1:01summers keep cranking up the temps. No more just tuffing it out in sweltering spaces. On top of that, the city's reviving its air conditioner assistance program next year, with a thousand free portable units for low income renters. They're also renaming the heating by-law to the indoor temperature standards. By-law come June 1st. In those swiny shoulder months, if it's naturally hitting 21 degrees inside, you can ask to shut the heat off. All this lines up protection year round, giving renters real relief as the heat keeps rising. Stay cool out there.