Toronto Heat Bylaw for Tenants: Minimum Temperatures and What to Do

By Jatin Dua · Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty · Updated 2 November 2026 · 9 min read — Toronto landlords must keep rentals at 21°C from October 1 to May 15. Here are the current rules, how to measure your unit and what to do if it’s cold.

This guide is for Toronto tenants who are cold at home and want to know what their landlord owes them, and for landlords who want to get the dates and numbers right. You will get the current minimum temperatures, how to measure your unit properly, and the exact steps to take when the heat falls short.

What is the minimum temperature for a rental in Toronto?

21°C. Under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 497, every landlord must keep a minimum air temperature of 21°C in all areas of a rented unit from October 1 to May 15. The temperature is measured 1.5 metres above the floor. The rule applies when the unit is normally heated at the landlord’s expense.

Many articles still quote September 15 to June 1. Those dates are out of date. Chapter 497 was most recently replaced by By-law 1511-2025, which took effect on June 1, 2026, and is now called the Indoor Temperature Standards bylaw. It sets October 1 to May 15, and the City’s own page confirms those dates. If the unit is already at 21°C, the landlord does not have to run the heating.

This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how the rules apply to your unit with the City, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), a licensed paralegal or a lawyer.

How do Toronto’s rules and Ontario’s rules fit together?

Toronto tenants are covered by two layers: the City’s bylaws and the province’s Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the RTA). They use different numbers and dates, and they are enforced by different bodies.

Source: Toronto Municipal Code Chapters 497 (in force June 1, 2026) and 629; City of Toronto heat and vital services page; O. Reg. 516/06, s. 4.

The gap matters in September and early June. Toronto’s bylaw does not require 21°C then, but the provincial rule still treats heat as a vital service from September 1. A landlord who controls the heat and leaves you below 20°C in that window may face a T2 at the LTB. My guide to what your landlord must fix in Ontario explains all three temperature layers in more depth.

How do I measure the temperature in my unit?

Measure the way the rules do, so your numbers hold up.

• Height: hold the thermometer 1.5 metres above the floor, about chest height for most adults.
• Distance from walls: the provincial rule also measures one metre away from exterior walls. Do the same.
• Every room: Toronto’s rule covers all areas of the unit, not just the warmest room.
• Several times a day: record the date, time, room and reading. Mornings and late evenings often tell the story.
• Proof: take a photo of the thermometer with something that shows the date, such as your phone’s lock screen.

A simple log over a few days is far stronger than “it has been freezing for weeks.”

What if I pay for my own heat?

Then the 21°C bylaw duty to run the heat is generally yours, because Chapter 497 applies only to units normally heated at the landlord’s expense. That is common in condos and houses with electric baseboards or a separately metered furnace.

Your landlord still has duties. Toronto’s property standards bylaw, Chapter 629, says every unit must have a heating system able to keep habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at 21°C, and every heating system must be kept in good repair. If the baseboards, thermostat or furnace do not work, that is a repair issue for the landlord. My guide to the T6 maintenance application covers how to push for the fix.

Does the heat bylaw cover condos and basement apartments?

Yes, if the unit is rented. Chapter 497 applies to every landlord of a rented dwelling unit in Toronto, not just big apartment towers. The City says that when a condo unit is rented, the landlord, meaning the unit owner, is responsible for making sure the heat bylaws are followed. A condo tenant should go to their landlord first, and then to 311.

The RentSafeTO program is narrower. It covers only apartment buildings with three or more storeys and ten or more units, and it leaves out condos, townhomes and units in a private house. But the heating and property standards bylaws still apply to those homes. If you are renting a condo, check whether heat is part of the building’s common costs. My post on condos with heat, hydro and water included explains how bulk heating works.

Can my landlord turn the heat off in spring or fall?

Sometimes. The City calls September 15 to October 15 and May 1 to June 1 the “shoulder season.” It says landlords can use their judgement then, because warm weather can push indoors above 21°C. If the outdoor temperature is high enough that the building stays at 21°C without heat, the landlord can turn the heat down or off.

What a landlord cannot do is turn it off and leave it off when it gets cold again. Inside October 1 to May 15, the 21°C minimum applies whenever the unit falls short. And the provincial vital-service rule runs from September 1 to June 15.

What should I do if my apartment is too cold?

1. Tell your landlord or property manager in writing. The City treats no heat or low heat as urgent and expects landlords to respond within 24 hours.
2. Start your temperature log the same day.
3. Call 311 if it is not resolved within 24 hours. The City will investigate. Officers can educate, issue a ticket or take further enforcement action.
4. Check your building’s record. If you live in an apartment building with three or more storeys and ten or more units, it falls under RentSafeTO. You can search for its evaluation score and active violations online.
5. Apply to the LTB if needed. Use a T2 if the landlord is withholding heat. Use a T6 if the system needs repair. You can ask for a rent abatement. My guide to the T2 application walks through the form.

What fines can a Toronto landlord face for not enough heat?

The City’s set fine for failing to keep a rented unit at 21°C is $500 per ticket. If the City takes a landlord to court instead, a conviction can bring a fine of up to $100,000, plus up to $10,000 for each day the offence continues. The bylaw also allows a special fine equal to any economic advantage the landlord gained. Directors or officers of a corporation who go along with the offence can face fines up to $100,000.

These are separate from LTB orders. A landlord can face City fines and also owe a tenant a rent abatement after a T2 or T6.

Does my landlord have to keep my unit cool in summer?

Only if air conditioning is already installed. Chapter 497, in force since June 1, 2026, requires owners, operators and landlords to run any installed cooling system from June 1 to September 30 to keep indoor temperatures at 26°C or lower. It does not require landlords to add air conditioning.

Apartment buildings with an existing amenity space, such as a party room or gym, must keep at least one of those spaces at 26°C or lower in that period if cooling is not provided in every unit. There is an exception where meeting the rule would require construction under the Building Code.

Air conditioning is not a vital service under the RTA. Since July 1, 2026, though, the RTA lets a tenant install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord does not supply one, unless a regulation allows the landlord to refuse. You must tell the landlord in writing first, and install it safely without damaging the unit. If your landlord pays for electricity, they may raise your rent by the actual cost of running it. They must lower it again when you remove it or stop using it for the season.

What to do next

1. Check your lease to see whether heat is included in your rent or paid by you.
2. Buy a basic thermometer and log readings at 1.5 metres in each room for a few days.
3. Send your landlord one written request with your readings.
4. If nothing changes within 24 hours, call 311, then consider a T2 or T6 at the LTB.
5. If you rent outside Toronto, check your own city’s property standards rules, since the provincial 20°C rule applies across Ontario.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 497, Indoor Temperature Standards (By-law 1511-2025, in force June 1, 2026)
• City of Toronto: Heat and Other Vital Services in Rental Units
• Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 629, Property Standards, s. 629-38 Heating and air conditioning
• O. Reg. 516/06 (General), s. 4: heat as a vital service, September 1 to June 15, 20°C
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 21, 29, 36.1 (Ontario e-Laws, consolidated September 21, 2026)
• Ontario: Rental housing offences (air conditioning is not a vital service)
• City of Toronto: RentSafeTO for Tenants
• LTB: Form T2 Instructions, Application about Tenant Rights

Related reading

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• Can a Landlord Evict You Without Going to the LTB in Ontario?
• Can My Landlord Raise the Rent Every Year in Ontario? 2027 Rules
• Can a Landlord Put Security Cameras in or Outside a Rental in Ontario?