Landlord-Tenant Heat Requirements Ontario: Minimum Temperatures and Your Obligations

When the temperature drops in Ontario, heating becomes one of the most important obligations a landlord must meet. Whether the heat is included in rent or the tenant pays their own utilities, the landlord is ultimately responsible for ensuring the heating system works and the unit can maintain adequate temperatures.

This guide covers the legal requirements, municipal variations, your obligations when things go wrong, and practical steps to keep your tenants warm and your legal exposure low.

Provincial Standards Under the RTA

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) does not specify an exact minimum temperature. Instead, Section 20(1) requires landlords to maintain rental units in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and compliant with health, safety, housing, and maintenance standards.

The Ontario Maintenance Standards regulation (O. Reg. 517/06) fills in the details. Section 15 states that every room in a rental unit must be capable of being heated to at least 20 degrees Celsius during the heating season.

However, many Ontario municipalities have enacted their own property standards bylaws with specific temperature requirements that may exceed the provincial minimum.

Municipal Temperature Requirements

Local bylaws often set more specific standards than the provincial regulation. Here are the requirements in several major Ontario cities:

Toronto

Toronto's property standards bylaw (Chapter 629) requires landlords to maintain a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius in all habitable rooms from September 15 to June 1. This applies 24 hours a day, whether heat is included in rent or not.

Ottawa

Ottawa's property standards bylaw requires a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in all habitable rooms during the heating season (September 15 to May 31).

Hamilton

Hamilton requires 20 degrees Celsius minimum in habitable rooms during the heating season, which runs from September 15 to June 15.

Other Municipalities

Most Ontario municipalities follow the 20 to 21 degree range. Always check your specific municipality's property standards bylaw, as heating seasons and temperature requirements vary.

Who Is Responsible for Heating Costs?

The responsibility for paying heating costs depends on what your lease says. There are two common arrangements:

Heat Included in Rent

When heat is included, you are responsible for both the heating system and the fuel costs. You control the thermostat (or the building's heating system), and you must ensure the unit stays at or above the minimum temperature throughout the heating season.

Tenant Pays for Heat

When the tenant pays their own heating costs (common with gas-heated houses or units with individual furnaces), the tenant is responsible for the utility bill. However, you are still responsible for maintaining the heating equipment in working order. If the furnace breaks, you must repair or replace it regardless of who pays the gas bill.

Important: even if the tenant controls the thermostat and pays for heat, you cannot escape liability if the heating system itself is faulty or inadequate. Your obligation is to provide a system that is capable of maintaining the required temperature.

What Happens When the Heat Fails

Furnace breakdowns in January are every landlord's nightmare, but they happen. Here is how to handle it:

Immediate Response (Within Hours)

• Respond to the tenant's complaint immediately, even if it is late at night or a weekend
• Call an emergency HVAC technician. Most offer 24/7 service
• If repairs will take more than a few hours in extreme cold, offer temporary solutions: space heaters (with safety precautions), temporary relocation, or hotel accommodation
• Document everything: when you were notified, when you called for service, what was done

If Repairs Take Longer

If the heating system needs a major repair or replacement that will take days:

• Provide space heaters rated for the room size (ensure they are CSA-approved and provide clear safety instructions)
• Consider offering a rent abatement for the days the unit was inadequately heated
• Keep the tenant informed with regular updates
• If the unit is truly uninhabitable, offer alternative accommodation at your expense

Tenant Remedies

If you fail to address a heating issue, tenants have several options:

• File a T6 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board for maintenance issues
• Call municipal property standards enforcement, which can issue orders requiring you to restore heat
• In extreme cases, contact local public health for intervention

The Landlord and Tenant Board can order rent abatements, require repairs, and impose conditions on your tenancy. Municipal fines for property standards violations can run into the thousands of dollars.

Preventive Maintenance: Avoiding Heating Emergencies

The best approach is preventing heating failures before they happen:

Annual Furnace Servicing

Schedule a professional furnace inspection and tune-up every fall, ideally in September before the heating season starts. A standard service call costs $100 to $200 and includes:

• Cleaning or replacing the air filter
• Inspecting the heat exchanger for cracks
• Testing the ignition system
• Checking the thermostat calibration
• Inspecting the flue and venting
• Lubricating moving parts

Filter Maintenance

Furnace filters should be changed every one to three months during the heating season. If the tenant is responsible for this, include clear instructions in your move-in package and provide filters, or schedule it as part of your regular property inspections.

Know Your Equipment's Age

A typical gas furnace lasts 15 to 20 years. If yours is approaching that range, start budgeting for replacement rather than waiting for it to fail on the coldest night of the year. Proactive replacement during mild weather gives you time to shop for the best price and schedule installation at your convenience.

Emergency HVAC Contacts

Maintain relationships with at least two HVAC companies that offer 24/7 emergency service. When your furnace fails at 2 AM on a Saturday in February, you do not want to be searching for a technician for the first time.

Maximum Temperature and Air Conditioning

Ontario does not have a provincial maximum temperature requirement for rental units, and there is no legal obligation for landlords to provide air conditioning. However, some municipalities have looked at introducing maximum temperature bylaws.

If you do provide air conditioning (window units or central air), you must maintain it in working order under your general maintenance obligations. You cannot advertise a unit as having air conditioning and then refuse to repair it when it breaks.

Common Landlord Mistakes with Heating

• Setting a maximum thermostat temperature: Some landlords install thermostat lockboxes set below the required minimum. This is a violation of property standards
• Delaying furnace repairs to save money: A $300 repair ignored in October becomes a $5,000 emergency replacement in January, plus potential fines and rent abatements
• Assuming tenant-paid heat absolves you: You are always responsible for the heating system itself, regardless of who pays the utility bill
• Not documenting maintenance: Keep records of every furnace service call, filter change, and repair. This documentation protects you if a tenant claims you neglected maintenance

Final Thoughts

Heating is not an area where you can cut corners. Ontario takes heating requirements seriously, and the consequences of failing to provide adequate heat range from fines to significant rent abatements ordered by the LTB. Invest in preventive maintenance, respond quickly when problems arise, and know your municipal requirements. Your tenants will appreciate it, and your wallet will thank you for avoiding emergency repairs and legal costs.