Toronto Just Launched A Map That Lets You Check How Safe Your Apartment Building Really Is

If you're looking for an apartment to rent in downtown Toronto, or you're just curious about how safe your current apartment building is, there's now an official website to see how it was evaluated by the City.

In an announcement posted on October 6, the City of Toronto shared the launch of an interactive webpage that'll show Torontonians the evaluation results of apartment buildings that are registered with RentSafeTO.

Factors taken into consideration include the condition of common areas, the building's mechanical and security systems, parking, and the outside grounds of the building.

If the building scores 50% or less during its overall evaluation, it has to undergo a complete inspection and audit of all common areas. Staff will also speak with tenants to take down concerns that they may have about the building's standards within their own units as well as in shared spaces.

RentSafeTO's Apartment Building Standards bylaw is an enforcement program that makes sure apartment buildings in the city meet their maintenance standards. All building owners and operators of rental properties that are three or more storeys tall and have 10 or more units have to register with RentSafeTO and comply with the bylaw.

Under the RentSafeTO program, building owners and operators will also have to adhere to certain requirements, like demonstrating a clear process for tracking and responding to tenant service requests, conducting regular inspections in shared spaces for cleanliness and pests, and notifying tenants of service disruptions.

The City recommends that if you have a concern with your building you should first speak with your landlord. Landlords must get back to you in five days for non-urgent concerns like broken windows, and for more urgent matters — such as water, gas, or electrical disruption, they have 24 hours to respond.

"This new interactive webpage is another step in the right direction to help protect tenant rights," said Toronto Mayor John Tory in the press release. "It will hold apartment building owners and management accountable and help prospective tenants make more informed decisions when looking for a new home."

There are over 3,400 buildings registered with the RentSafeTO program. Since the launch of the program in 2017 until the end of 2020, the City has responded to nearly 25,350 complaints.