City of Brampton Advances to Second Phase of Residential Landlord Licensing Pilot Program
The City of Brampton has entered the second phase of its Residential Landlord Licensing (RLL) pilot program, with time running out for landlords to avoid significant fines.
Launched on January 1, 2024, the RLL pilot program has stirred controversy. This two-year initiative requires some landlords in five of the city’s electoral wards to register their units and apply for a license to curb illegal rental units and rooming houses. The program initially faced pushback from landlords, leading to a temporary pause. However, it was relaunched on April 1 after further public consultations and adjustments.
“The City of Brampton is committed to creating safer places for renters to call home. Brampton’s Residential Rental Licensing Pilot Program aims to maintain neighborhood character, enforce property standards, and uphold the Ontario Fire Code for safety,” the city stated in a release.
The RLL pilot applies to landlords in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 with between one and four rental units. Each landlord must obtain licenses for their properties. As of July 4, nearly 2,000 landlords had registered their units.
To encourage participation, the city waived the $300 registration fee for the first three months of the program. During the second phase, running through September 30, the registration fee is discounted by 50%. However, starting October 1, landlords will be charged the full fee, and the city will begin issuing fines for noncompliance.
The city announced that fines for noncompliance will be $600 for a first offence, $900 for a second, and $1,200 for third and subsequent offences.
“Brampton Enforcement and Bylaw Services and Fire Prevention will continue to focus efforts on community education and conducting inspections in response to residents’ concerns or where there have been previous concerns of compliance with property minimum maintenance standards and fire safety,” the city added.
Councillor Dennis Keenan of Wards 3 and 4 told the Brampton Guardian that fines will be applied on a per-property basis, meaning non-compliant landlords with multiple units could face fines for each one. “If people aren’t signed up, we can start to lay fines,” he said. “The city really needs this program and needs everyone to buy-in and be educated.”
Keenan, who campaigned on addressing Brampton’s significant illegal rentals and rooming house problem, noted that while some landlords continue to oppose the new measures, resident feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. A survey conducted during a February telephone town hall attended by over 7,000 residents found that 83% of respondents supported the city’s efforts to tackle illegal rentals.
“Landlords’ concern is that once they sign up, they think we’re going to come and kick-in the door to their home, and that’s just not the case. It will be data-driven. If people are complaining that a house has too many people, is unsafe, and there is garbage everywhere, those are the houses we’re going to. We’re going to allocate our resources appropriately,” Keenan explained.
Brampton Council recently approved a significant expansion of its bylaw department, with over 30 new bylaw officers hired to focus on enforcing the RLL.
For full details and more information about the RLL, both landlords and residents can visit the city’s website at www.brampton.ca.