RentSafeTO for Building Owners
COVID-19 health and safety measures need to be taken by apartment building owners and operators. These measures include providing hand sanitizer in common areas, keeping non-essential common areas closed as specified by provincial orders, cleaning frequently-touched surfaces, and posting Toronto Public Health signage.RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards is a bylaw enforcement program that ensures that building owners and operators comply with building maintenance standards. The program includes auditing and enforcement, so that the hundreds of thousands of Toronto residents living in rental buildings have clean, safe and secure homes. If you own one or more rental apartment buildings with three or more storeys and 10 or more units, you are required to register and renew annually to comply with the program. See Interpretation Bulletin: Apartment Building Definition. Download the Building Owner Handbook for an overview of the bylaw and summary of key regulations. The handbook was last updated on November 2020. Program Details Owners and operators of apartment buildings need to adopt COVID-19 health and safety measures. If you have health and safety concerns, talk to your landlord or building manager first and submit a service request. If you get no action from your landlord and problems persist, contact 311 for the RentSafeTO team.RentSafeTO: Apartment Building Standards is a bylaw enforcement program that ensures apartment building owners comply with building maintenance standards. The program applies to apartment buildings with three or more storeys and 10 or more units. Residents need to contact their landlord first and submit service requests for issues such as pests, low or no heat, plumbing problems, leaky ceilings or problems in the common areas of the building. Landlords need to respond to urgent service requests, such as no heat or water, within 24 hours. Non-urgent service requests need to be responded to within seven (7) days. If you get no action from your landlord and problems persist, you can contact 311 for the RentSafeTO team. Owners of rental apartment buildings are required to register and comply with the RentSafeTO program. Learn more about what building owners must do to comply. If landlords do not comply with the maintenance standards, the RentSafeTO team can issue orders and charge landlords, which can result in substantial fines. The City can also have a contractor complete any necessary work and place the costs on the building’s property taxes. Condo buildings, townhomes, or units in a private home (basement or main floor apartment) are not part of the RentSafeTO program. If you are renting an apartment in a building that is not part of the RentSafeTO program and experience a problem, please talk to your landlord first and submit a service request. If you get no action from your landlord and problems persist, you can contact 311 to have the City investigate. Until February 28, 2021, either the old or the updated version of the OSL may be used. Residential tenancy agreements signed on or after March 1, 2021 must use the updated standard lease. Below is a list of the material changes from the 2018 OSL that we have noted – images of the changes will be put into the first few comments on this post. 1. Page 1 - new logo and effective date 2. Page 7 - the pdf allows for digital signatures 3. Page 8 - new logo and TTY number (Bell Relay Service) 4. Page 9 Appendix Section D - new content regarding “When the landlord can end the tenancy” 5. Page 10 Appendix Section I - new Guideline Rent Increases content 6. Page 13 Appendix Section Q - new content about ‘guests’ 7. Page 14 is new and provides information about the availability of the guide to the OSL in various languages, and this link to the Guide to Ontario’s standard lease https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-ontarios-standard-lease 11 December 2020 York and Windsor-Essex Regions are being moved into the Grey-Lockdown level in the province’s tiered framework for COVID-19 restrictions as of Monday, December 14, joining Toronto and Peel. This means that non-essential retail stores will have to switch to curbside pickup only, and a swath of other businesses, such as gyms and personal care services, will close entirely. In addition to moving York and Windsor into a lockdown, the province is also placing three more regions into the Red-Control zone: Middlesex-London, Simcoe Showings by Appointment Are Permitted Members can conduct in-person showings by appointment, following health and safety best practices, so you will still be able to provide your services to pre-qualified clients and complete transactions. This will allow us as an industry to keep the real estate market moving, while Members earn an income helping consumers achieve their home ownership dreams. Measures applying to York, Toronto, Peel and Windsor-Essex Regions under the Lockdown level include, but are not limited to:
The Ontario government is investing over $2.2 million through the Ontario Together Fund to provide small businesses with free, tailored financial advice and online training to help them make informed financial decisions and navigate the unprecedented economic circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government is offering $2,040,000 to support Ontario's 47 Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBEC) led by the Business Advisory Centre Durham to create a new Small Business COVID-19 Recovery Network. This network will enhance the capacity of all SBECs across the province, build one central portal where businesses can access digital tools and training, and get information on government programs to help them navigate COVID-19 and beyond. The province is also providing $131,000 for Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada to develop and deliver a four-part COVID-19-specific financial literacy tool kit for small businesses, and $51,000 for Financial Advisors Association of Canada to provide pro-bono professional financial advice for small companies through its online platform, Advocis Connect. The association will connect small businesses with financial advisors for free advice on the current financial state of their business, how to pivot the business to manage the current economic emergency, and guidance for applying to federal and provincial government support programs. The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) provides direct commercial rent or property expense support to tenants and property owners of qualifying organizations affected by COVID-19 by providing support up to a maximum of 65% of eligible expenses.
Qualifying organizations that are under a lockdown or have significantly limited activities under a public health order will have access to Lockdown Support, a top-up subsidy of 25%, meaning they could receive rent or property expenses support of up to 90%. Applicants can claim the subsidy retroactively for the period that began on September 27 and ended on October 24, 2020. The CRA has launched CERS webpages, an online CERS calculator, and CERS infographics (Take a look at the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy has got you covered, and We’re here to help) to assist organizations in preparing their applications. On November 5, 2020, the provincial government announced details of its 2020 Budget and economic recovery action plan. Details on real estate related initiatives announced with the budget, including a new renovation credit for seniors and property tax reductions, are provided below. Full details on the budget announcement are available at the government’s site here.
TRREB Reaction The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is encouraged to see the provincial government taking action through the provincial budget announced on November 5, 2020, to help ensure continued economic recovery. The global pandemic has taken a serious toll on economies around the world, and it is important for all governments to do what they can to ensure that the economy recovers as quickly as possible. TRREB believe that the measures announced by the provincial government will make an important difference in achieving that goal. TRREB is particularly encouraged to see that the government included some property tax relief measures for businesses. Since the start of the pandemic and economic downturn, TRREB has been working hard to assist governments at all levels to achieve public health and economic recovery objectives. TRREB has provided detailed input on the state of the Toronto region’s real estate market and advice on policy and fiscal actions that could assist with economic recovery. TRREB looks forward to continuing to work with all levels of government to help move the Greater Toronto Area, the province, and the country through the current public health and economic challenges. Real Estate Related Budget Initiatives Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit
Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) Now Open to Businesses Using Personal Banking Accounts11/1/2020
Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) Now Open to Businesses Using Personal Banking Accounts
COVID-19 26 October 2020 Speaking to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is now available to businesses that have been operating out of a non-business banking account. This change follows last week’s announcement by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland. As of October 26, 2020, eligibility for CEBA has expanded by removing the previous March 1, 2020, condition for having an active business chequing/operating account in existence on March 1, 2020. With this removal, eligible businesses can now apply after opening a business chequing/operating account with their primary financial institution. TRREB and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) welcome this much-needed change as the industry has been continuously advocating for changes to CEBA that would allow more brokerages to access the program. CREA has been advocating for and highlighted the need to make CEBA available to all business structures, including sole proprietors who conduct their business through personal bank accounts, during their in-person discussions with government officials, letters to Cabinet Ministers, and in a written brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Updated CEBA Eligibility Criteria To be eligible, businesses must have been operating as a business as of March 1, 2020, must successfully open a business account at a Canadian financial institution that is participating in CEBA, and meet the other existing CEBA eligibility criteria. The deadline to apply for CEBA is December 31, 2020. Businesses that have chosen to bank through a personal account may now be eligible for the CEBA program. The steps for these businesses to access CEBA are:
Follow instructions from your financial institution to complete all relevant parts of the CEBA application. For additional information and requirements, please visit the CEBA website, and to start the application process, please click here. CEBA is part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. The government is constantly assessing the evolving situation and is likely to introduce additional measures as it deems necessary. We are monitoring the implementation of existing measures and continue to advocate on behalf of REALTORS® as new initiatives are developed. 1. Defective Plumbing
Defective plumbing can manifest itself in two different ways: leaking, and clogging. A visual inspection can detect leaking, and an inspector will gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet. If you hear the sound of running water, it indicates that the pipes are undersized. If the water appears dirty when first turned on at the faucet, this is a good indication that the pipes are rusting, which can result in severe water quality problems. 2. Damp or Wet Basement An inspector will check your walls for a powdery white mineral deposit a few inches off the floor, and will look to see if you feel secure enough to store things right on your basement floor. A mildew odor is almost impossible to eliminate, and an inspector will certainly be conscious of it. It could cost you $200-$1,000 to seal a crack in or around your basement foundation depending on severity and location. Adding a sump pump and pit could run you around $750 - $1,000, and complete waterproofing (of an average 3 bedroom home) could amount to $5,000-$15,000. You will have to weigh these figures into the calculation of what price you want to net on your home. 3. Inadequate Wiring & Electrical Your home should have a minimum of 100 amps service, and this should be clearly marked. Wire should be copper or aluminum. Home inspectors will look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard. 4. Poor Heating & Cooling Systems Insufficient insulation, and an inadequate or a poorly functioning heating system, are the most common causes of poor heating. While an adequately clean furnace, without rust on the heat exchanger, usually has life left in it, an inspector will be asking and checking to see if your furnace is over its typical life span of 15-25 yrs. For a forced air gas system, a heat exchanger will come under particular scrutiny since one that is cracked can emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers must be replaced if damaged - they cannot be repaired. 5. Roofing Problems Water leakage through the roof can occur for a variety of reasons such as physical deterioration of the asphalt shingles (e.g. curling or splitting), or mechanical damage from a wind storm. When gutters leak and downspouts allow water to run down and through the exterior walls, this external problem becomes a major internal one. 6. Damp Attic Spaces Aside from basement dampness, problems with ventilation, insulation and vapor barriers can cause water, moisture, mold and mildew to form in the attic. This can lead to premature wear of the roof, structure and building materials. The cost to fix this damage could easily run over $2,500. 7. Rotting Wood This can occur in many places (door or window frames, trim, siding, decks and fences). The building inspector will sometimes probe the wood to see if this is present - especially when wood has been freshly painted. 8. Masonry Work Rebricking can be costly, but, left unattended, these repairs can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney which falls onto the roof. It can be costly to rebuild a chimney or to have it repointed. 9. Unsafe or Overfused Electrical Circuit A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended. 15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home, with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers. It can cost several hundred dollars to replace your fuse panel with a circuit panel. 10. Adequate Security Features More than a purchased security system, an inspector will look for the basic safety features that will protect your home such as proper locks on windows and patio doors, Dead bolts on the doors, smoke and even carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom and on every level. Even though pricing will vary, these components will add to your costs. Before purchasing or installing, you should check with your local experts. 11. Structural/Foundation Problems An inspector will certainly investigate the underlying footing and foundation of your home as structural integrity is fundamental to your home. |
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