Coun. Carolyn Parrish plans to bring forward a motion during Wednesday’s council meeting to address landlords turning on the heat in Mississauga apartment buildings.
The move comes in the wake of apartment tenants across the Greater Toronto Area facing scorching temperatures in their units. Citing municipal bylaw requirements, landlords turned on the heat in spite of temperatures reaching as high as 31 C during September’s unprecedented heat wave.
“We have been sweltering,” said Betty Godzwon, tenant of a Bromsgrove Road apartment building in Mississauga, adding her apartment is reading 35 C.
Tenants of a Darcel Avenue apartment building in Mississauga are also dealing with the heat blasting in their units, relying on fans and outdoor pools to keep cool.
Property manager of the Darcel Avenue building, Q Residential, claim they are following the city’s bylaw to provide adequate heating in buildings by mid-September.
“It’s a bylaw issue, not a landlord issue,” said Lorne Stephenson, corporate affairs for Q Residential. “Councillors should be dealing with it.”
“That’s a totally ridiculous comment,” said Parrish. “The bylaw addresses a need for heat and in no way suggests a sensible management with even half a brain has to turn heat on in 40 degree C weather.”
The bylaw states landlords must provide “adequate and suitable heat” of 20 C between Sept. 15 and June 1. City staff confirmed there is no requirement that the heat be on; only that the landlord provide adequate and suitable heat to keep the unit at 20 C.
The Ward 5 councillor’s motion requests that the city bylaw be updated to delay landlords blasting the heat in apartment units until Oct. 1, and ensure air conditioning is provided by May 15.
“Those buildings charge more for rent to provide heat and air centrally and there’s an expectation that the temperatures dictate when the conversion occurs,” she said.
Stephenson told the News it takes several days for the HVAC system to be switched from heat to air conditioning. When complaints started to trickle in last week, the company approved the switch and as of Monday, the air conditioning was fully operational.
“We just want to understand what’s being asked of us (by the city) so we can comply,” noted Stephenson.
City council will debate the motion at the Sept. 26 meeting.
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