question: The house has gotten much colder since the beginning of October, but the heating isn't working properly. I've mentioned it to the landlord, but they just keep putting it off. As a tenant, how should I handle this?
answer: In Ontario, heating is not merely a convenience but a vital service mandated by law. Key standards and a step-by-step response are summarized below. The following information is for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
1. Check the reference temperature first.
Provincial standards require that indoor temperatures in rental housing be maintained at a minimum of 20°C from September 1 to June 15 of the following year. Some places, like Toronto, have stricter city ordinances—Toronto sets the standard at 21°C from October 1 to May 15. Please check the ordinances of your own city as well. Keeping an indoor thermometer and recording the date, time, and temperature with a photo or note will be very helpful later.
2. Notify the landlord 'in writing'.
It is recommended to leave the date and details of your request via email or text message rather than by phone. Since heating is an essential service, landlords cannot cut off or interfere with the heating simply because rent is overdue, nor can they arbitrarily stop it unless there are repairs or emergencies. Exceptions may exist, such as when the tenant can operate the thermostat directly, so please also check the contract to confirm who is responsible for the heating costs.
3. If the issue persists, please contact the city authorities.
If the issue is not resolved after a reasonable amount of time, you can report it to your city's property standards department or the complaint hotline (311 in Toronto). Since heating outages during the winter are often treated as health and safety issues, the site is usually inspected relatively quickly.
4. The last resort is the Lease Dispute Board (LTB).
If the issue still remains unresolved, you can file a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board. Typical applications include a T2 (Tenant Rights) for unfulfilled essential services and a T6 for maintenance and repair issues. Please submit your records of written requests and temperature logs together.
Rather than enduring the cold while waiting, the fastest way is to keep records and notify the authorities in order. If you have young children or elderly family members at home, please do not delay contacting the city authorities.
Source: Ontario Landlord 'Landlord Heating Requirements in Ontario' · TenantRights.ca 'Landlord Shut Off Heat or Water in Ontario: Tenant Action Steps' · https://ontariolandlord.ca/guides/landlord-heating-requirements-ontario · https://tenantrights.ca/ontario/landlord-shut-off-heat-water-tenant-steps
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