Served Brampton
Also covered: Bramalea, Springdale
Property maintenance in Brampton, basement units and the licence
Brampton had 22,892 registered second units at the end of 2024, 2,585 of them added that year (City of Brampton, 2024 year end report). Most rentals here are a house with a unit below it, and since January 1, 2026 every one of them needs a City licence.
Checked 2026-10-02
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Coverage
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Registration comes before the licence
The order is fixed: register the unit, then apply for the rental licence. Under the licensing program, a licence found non-compliant starts at a $750 penalty and can rise to $1,500. When a repair touches fire separation, egress windows or the electrical panel in a basement unit, we keep the trade's photos and permit notes on the job so they are there at renewal.
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Heat on a fixed season
The Vital Services By-law runs from September 15 to June 1. In a house split into two units one thermostat can heat both floors, so a no heat call from the lower unit starts with who controls the heat. See the heating season checks.
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Peel runs the pipes
Peel Region owns the watermains and sanitary sewers, answered 24 hours at 905-791-7800. A backup from the private side is booked with a licensed drain contractor. Tenants and neighbours report property standards issues to 311 Brampton, open around the clock.
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Licensed work only
Plumbing is done by licensed plumbers and drain work by licensed drain contractors. Gas work is done by TSSA registered contractors. We only use ECRA/ESA-Licensed Electrical Contractors. Pest control is done by licensed exterminators.
More than 80 percent of Brampton's residential land is zoned only for low rise homes (Housing Brampton technical memo). For the owner of one or two of those houses, see landlords. To send a Brampton job, request work.
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Local rules
Since January 1, 2026, every rental property of one to four units in Brampton needs a Residential Rental Licence, not only the five wards of the 2024 pilot. The licence is annual and free. From the same date the landlord shows proof of liability insurance and completes a one time online landlord education module. The City says the program runs to December 31, 2028.
Every additional residential unit, whether a two unit dwelling, a three unit dwelling or a garden suite, must be registered with the City under By-law 157-2022 before the owner can apply for the rental licence. An unregistered unit draws a minimum $1,000 fine.
Source: City of Brampton, Registered additional residential units
From September 15 to June 1 the landlord keeps every habitable room and tenant area at 20 C or more, measured 1.5 m above the floor, and hot water at 49 C or more (Vital Services By-law 68-2018, sections 4 and 6).
The Property Standards By-law 165-2022 requires a heating system capable of 20 C in every habitable room and bathroom (section 35.1), and air conditioning where present to be kept in good repair (section 39.2). It sets no maximum temperature.
Source: City of Brampton, Property Standards By-law 165-2022
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Common services in Brampton
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Questions
Does my Brampton rental house need a licence in 2026?
If it has one to four rental units, yes. The Residential Rental Licence went city wide on January 1, 2026, and it is free to apply for and renew each year.
Do I register a basement unit before the Brampton rental licence?
Yes. Every additional residential unit has to be registered under By-law 157-2022 first, and registration is a condition of the licence.
When is heat required in a Brampton rental?
From September 15 to June 1, at 20 C in every habitable room, under the Vital Services By-law 68-2018, unless the City posts different dates.
Is there a rebate for a backwater valve in Brampton?
Peel Region pays 60 percent of the invoice, up to $1,500, for a sanitary backwater valve on a lateral serving one dwelling unit, with a City building permit and a passed inspection. Basement apartments that share a lateral are not eligible.
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