# What should a landlord do when a rental basement floods in Toronto? Updated 2026-09-26. Stop the water, make the unit safe, report it to 311, then fix the cause. The City of Toronto tells owners to have Toronto Hydro shut the power off if water is near outlets or the electrical panel, to stop using toilets and sinks if a sewer back-up is suspected, and to report the flooding to 311 so a City technician can check whether the City's sewer is the cause. We only use ECRA/ESA-Licensed Electrical Contractors. ## The first hour - **Power.** If water has risen above outlets or near the panel, call Toronto Hydro to shut the power off. Keep everyone away from electrical equipment, and have a licensed electrical contractor check for hazards before it goes back on. - **Drains.** If it looks like a sewer back-up, stop using toilets and sinks. Water sent down the drain can come back up in the basement. - **Gas.** Flood water can put out a pilot light. If anyone smells gas, everyone leaves and the gas company is called. - **311.** Report the flooding. The City investigates whether its sewer is involved and keeps a record of the call and the findings. - **Photos.** Photograph the damage and keep receipts for emergency repairs and clean-up. Section 26 of the Residential Tenancies Act allows entry without written notice in cases of emergency, and Roundhouse handles water coming into a unit now as one. ## Who fixes what The City says that where flooding comes from a blocked private drainpipe, leaking foundation walls or poor lot drainage, the property owner is responsible for the repairs and any damage that follows. Toronto's property standards by-law requires foundation walls and basements to be kept in good repair and to keep out moisture that would cause damage (section 629-16), and requires downpipe water to be directed so it does not cause damage (629-20). Section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act makes the landlord responsible for keeping the unit in a good state of repair and fit for habitation. For sewage, the City recommends a professional cleaning company, and says drywall and insulation contaminated with sewage or flood water should be removed and discarded. ## The City's subsidy The Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program is open to registered owners of single-family, duplex, triplex and fourplex homes in Toronto. Since May 1, 2026, it pays up to $6,650 per property for eligible work completed on or after November 12, 2025, at up to 80 per cent of the invoiced cost for each item: - a home plumbing assessment - up to two backwater valves, with alarms - a sump pump, alarm and battery backup - severing and capping the storm sewer or weeping tile connection The conditions that trip applications up: - Every contractor and subcontractor on the job must hold a valid City of Toronto business licence at the time of the work. Check before work starts. - The downspouts must already be disconnected from the City sewer, unless the City has granted an exemption. - A backwater valve needs a building permit and an inspection before it is covered. - Invoices must be itemized, name each licensed contractor, and be marked "paid in full". - Applications go in within two years of the work. The registered owner applies, not the tenant or the property manager. ## How Roundhouse handles it Roundhouse traces where the water came in before anyone quotes the fix, and drain work is done by licensed drain contractors. If the owner plans to apply for the subsidy, say so when you send the job, so the licence check and the invoice details the City asks for are settled before work starts. See [basement leaks and waterproofing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/waterproofing/), [plumbing and drains](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/plumbing/) or [request work](https://roundhousegroup.ca/request-work/). ## Related pages - [Waterproofing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/waterproofing/) - [Plumbing and drains](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/plumbing/) - [Who is responsible for mould in an Ontario rental unit?](https://roundhousegroup.ca/answers/mould-in-a-rental-ontario/) ## Questions ### Is a Toronto landlord responsible for a flooded basement apartment? For the unit, yes. Section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act makes the landlord responsible for keeping it in a good state of repair and fit for habitation. The City says that when flooding comes from a blocked private drain, leaking foundation walls or poor lot drainage, the property owner is responsible for the repairs and the damage that follows. ### Can the owner of a rental property get the City's flooding subsidy? If the owner is the registered owner of a single-family, duplex, triplex or fourplex home in Toronto and meets the other conditions, the property can qualify. A building with more units than that is outside the program. ### Why report basement flooding to 311? The City sends a technician to check whether its sewer caused the flooding, and it keeps a record of the call and the findings. The City says that record plays an important role when a claim against the City is investigated. ### Does a backwater valve need a building permit? For the subsidy, yes. The City's steps are a building permit for the valve and an inspection once it is installed, with the valve left uncovered until the inspection is complete. ## Sources - [City of Toronto, basement flooding](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/managing-rain-melted-snow/basement-flooding/) - [City of Toronto, Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/managing-rain-melted-snow/basement-flooding/basement-flooding-protection-subsidy-program/) - [Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17, sections 20 and 26](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17) - [Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 629, Property Standards](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_629.pdf)