Submission to City Council, June 25th, 2026

The Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA) would like to once again reiterate our support for the establishment of a Maximum Indoor Temperature By-Law in the coming year. This measure is essential to protect tenant health and safety, particularly as the climate crisis poses increasing risks to tenants, as some of the City’s most vulnerable residents.  

The recent report released on June 23rd, 2026 by the Executive Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards defines the steps City staff would require to develop a proposed framework for such a By-Law. However, to the tenant movement’s disappointment, these steps only lead to more consultation and research—no timeline for drafting the By‑Law, much less enacting it.

What is particularly frustrating is that the City of Toronto has already conducted several consultations and reports on the matter of maximum indoor heat. Most recently, the City of Toronto commissioned the recent Environics report, published in December 2025, as well as the Indoor Thermal Safety report by C40 in June of last year, just to name a few studies.  

Right now, tenants are stuck between a rock and a hard place thanks in large part to the provincial government’s bid to benefit developers and landlords by prioritizing their profits over tenant health and safety. While Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, offers tenants some new cooling resources by amending the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), most of the burden remains on tenants. Through this legislation, landlords can still charge extra fees for air conditioners if a tenant's lease restricts electricity use.

Meanwhile, tenants still have to contend with the RTA's pre‑2018 rent-control exemption—also known as Above Guideline Increases (AGIs). We, tenants, continue to suffer sweltering conditions in our homes that risk our health and safety, and yet are being priced out of our homes thanks to AGIs. In short, we are being overcharged to keep a roof over our heads and risk our lives in the extreme heat under said roof. At the FMTA, we deal with hundreds of tenants across the City of Toronto every year who fight against AGIs in buildings that would be lucky to qualify as “needing improvement” under municipal standards. And all of this is happening as Toronto last year broke record extreme heat.  

This is an egregious and impossible position. Tenants deserve to live in dignity, and not risk their lives at the hands of institutions that benefit landlords, developers and the owning class.  

Currently, the City of Toronto is attempting to bridge this gap by introducing the new Air Conditioning program for seniors and low income people. We commend the City’s efforts, and strongly recommend this program be extended to all tenants across Toronto.  

But what we urgently need is for the City to step up and adopt a Maximum Heat By-law to enable tenants' health and safety in the midst of this ongoing climate crisis. We need increased regulation at the municipal level to protect tenants and their lives, even while the province refuses to eliminate AGIs, putting tenants at risk.

At the FMTA, we understand that the City has multiple challenges in implementing this much-needed legislation. But if the City and Council are serious about making Toronto a more equitable place for everyone, then we cannot afford to have tenants die in their homes to have landlords, or other levels of government, save a few pennies. Our most vulnerable are at risk and we need to act now.

The FMTA urges the following measures be implemented in the development of the Maximum Indoor Temperature By-Law:

• A maximum indoor temperature standard of 26°C for leased residential premises, year-round, with a drafted By-Law for Council’s review no later than summer 2027.
• Expand the City of Toronto’s air conditioner assistance program aimed at providing access to air conditioning for low-income and vulnerable households to include all tenants in need.
• Increased pressure from Toronto officials to urge the Province of Ontario to reform the RTA so as to eliminate AGIs in their entirety.  They are unnecessary and function primarily as a financial benefit for landlords, at the expense of our most vulnerable tenants.

The FMTA is Canada’s largest and oldest tenant federation. We have long been active on this issue and remain committed to ensuring housing is recognized as a human right in this country. Together with our many members, we will continue to press for our demands to be heard—and acted upon—at all levels of government.

Together we are stronger. Together we will win.

The Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations