The Rental Apartment Buildings By-law (the “by-law”) requires the annual registration of all purpose-built rental buildings that contain two or more storeys and six or more residential units that share a common area.
Failure to register an apartment building is an offence under the by-law, which upon conviction carries a maximum penalty of $100,000.
By-law requirements
Once registered, building owners must ensure apartment buildings meet a series of minimum standards and practices pertaining to:
- Tenant service request processes
- Waste management planning
- Cleaning
- State of good repair planning
- Electrical maintenance planning
- Vital services disruption planning
- Tenant assistance documentation
- Tenant notification boards
- Preventative pest management inspection practices
- Use of certified tradespersons
- Record-keeping
To better understand the key by-law requirements, review the Apartment Building Owner’s Reference Guide.
Proactive inspections
Our dedicated team of Municipal Law Enforcement Officers (MLEO) will schedule proactive inspections, known as evaluations. The purpose of an evaluation is to conduct a visual inspection of all common areas and assign a score for maintenance practices and standards including state of repair, cleanliness, pest prevention and compliance with the program requirements.
Upon completion of an evaluation, MLEO will order the owners to resolve serious issues that were identified. An overall score will be generated, which determines the timing of future inspections:
| Score | Next evaluation |
|---|---|
| 91% to 100% | In three years |
| 66% to 90% | In two years |
| 51% to 65% | In one year |
| 0% to 50% | Audit to be scheduled |
Audits
Audits will be conducted on apartment buildings that receive substandard evaluation scores. The purpose of an audit is to conduct an inspection and assessment of the physical condition of an apartment building, its systems and site components. An audit will include a tenant engagement process and owners will be required to post the notice of audit on the tenant notification board.
Unlike an evaluation, an audit will encompass a visual inspection of all accessible areas of the apartment building and property, including the interior of individual rental units, as requested by tenants.
Upon completion of an audit, City staff will order the owner to resolve any and all by-law violations that are identified, as opposed to the serious concerns that were ordered to be resolved during the building evaluation.
Residents of registered apartment buildings can submit complaints to the City if their complaints have not been resolved by the owner or property manager.
Residents can make complaints involving:
- External common areas
- Internal common areas
- Their residential units
Once a complaint has been submitted, a service request will be generated and assigned to an officer. We may need to contact you for additional details and encourage you to provide your contact information.
Your contact information will be kept confidential. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit an anonymous complaint.
New registrations
1. Request a registration form
To request a unique registration form, email marc.registration@mississauga.ca with the following information:
- Building address
- Name and email address of the person completing the form
2. Complete and submit the registration form
Follow the instructions provided and submit your completed form electronically.
3. Pay registration fee
The 2023-2024 registration fee is $18.25 per residential unit (HST exempt).
An invoice for the annual registration fee will be mailed to the owner listed on the first page of the registration form.
4. Receive registration certificate
Once the registration form and payment are processed, registration is complete. A registration certificate will be sent electronically to the building owner(s). A physical copy of the registration certificate must be posted at the apartment building.
What happens next
After initial registration, owners must create and implement all plans required by the Rental Apartment Buildings By-law 89-22 within 90 days of registering.
Renew registration annually
For the duration of the pilot program, owners are required to renew their registration by July 31.
Before the renewal deadline, the City will send all owners an electronic registration form and mail a physical invoice. Registration will be processed once the form and payment have been received.
Update building, owner or contact information
Owners are required to update any information relating to their registration form within seven (7) days. If there are any changes to the building, owner or contacts please notify marc.registration@mississauga.ca and request an updated registration form.