Climate change is here, and it is getting worse.
Every summer, our office hears from renters struggling to survive in dangerously hot apartments. Temperatures in these units regularly soar above 30°C, making day-to-day life miserable. For some tenants, it is not just uncomfortable. It is a threat to their health and safety.
The devastating 2021 heat wave in British Columbia, which contributed to more than 600 deaths, exposed the deadly consequences of extreme heat. Many of the people who died were seniors, low-income individuals, or people living alone in stifling, unairconditioned apartments.
These extreme heat waves are not one-offs. They will got worse. And yet, Ontario still has no maximum temperature law for rental housing. While the province mandates a minimum indoor temperature of 20°C in winter, there are no similar protections for the summer months, even as climate change drives up temperatures year after year.
All Ontarians deserve to live in a safe and comfortable home — all year round.
Extreme heat is a public health crisis. Setting a provincial maximum temperature is a practical, lifesaving step.
That’s why we’re calling on the Ford Government to:
- Establish a provincial maximum temperature to ensure rental units are safe, and a tenant’s right to reasonable enjoyment of their unit is maintained.
- Permit a tenant to safely install an air-conditioning unit, without additional charge
- Prohibiting rent increases for who install air conditioning.
- Upgrade Ontario’s building code and invest in a green job retrofit program to make housing greener and energy-efficient, including community housing and purpose-built rental buildings, while not burdening tenants with unfair rent hikes.
- Partner with municipalities to invest in urban forests and gardens to reduce the heat island effect and lower temperatures in towns and cities.
Take Action:
- Sign our petition to support a maximum temperature law in Ontario.
- Are you living in a hot apartment? We want to hear from you, tell us how hot your apartment unit is. Email [email protected] or call 416-535-7206.
- Talk to your neighbours and organize.
Read the reports from ACORN and Statistics Canada to learn more the scope of this crisis and the urgent need to act.