# Property maintenance in London, licensed and inspected rentals

Updated 2026-10-03.

London licenses the small rental building, the kind a basement unit or a converted house makes, and sends a property standards officer and a fire inspector before the first licence is issued. The [Residential Rental Units Licensing By-law CP-19](https://london.ca/by-laws/residential-rental-units-licensing-cp-19) sets fines of up to $25,000 for a person and $50,000 for a corporation on a first conviction.

## The inspection sets the baseline

A licensed unit has passed a City inspection. Repairs afterwards should keep it there: smoke alarms back on the ceiling, fire separations closed, egress windows clear, with photos on the job for the renewal. Duplexes can also draw Electrical Safety Authority fees at licensing, and electrical work goes to a licensed contractor. See [multiplexes and houses](https://roundhousegroup.ca/buildings/multiplexes-and-houses/).

## Near Campus Neighbourhoods

London zones Near Campus Neighbourhoods with their own bedroom limits, first set in 2012 and upheld at the Ontario Municipal Board in 2013 ([City of London](https://london.ca/sites/default/files/2026-02/FINAL%20Z-25159%20-%20Additional%20Residential%20Unit%20New%20Provisions%20%28AE%29.pdf)). Every unit rented there still needs the licence. For owners renting to students, see [student housing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/student-housing/).

## Older homes and the sanitary sewer

The City says that in some older homes built before 1985 the [weeping tiles generally run to the sanitary sewer](https://london.ca/living-london/water-environment/flooding), where newer homes drain to a sump. In a basement that floods in a storm, the drain contractor's camera usually answers which one it is. The grant pays only for new work that has not started, so the application goes in before the trade is booked. See [basement leaks and waterproofing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/waterproofing/).

## Two Great Lakes

London's water comes from Lake Huron and Lake Erie through more than 2,129 km of pipe ([City of London water system](https://london.ca/living-london/water-environment/water-system)). A watermain break goes to the Water Department at 519-661-4739, answered 24 hours a day. Property standards complaints go to Municipal Compliance at 519-661-4660 or enforcement@london.ca.

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.

To send a London job, [request work](https://roundhousegroup.ca/request-work/).

## Local rules

- A Residential Rental Unit Licence is required for a building with four or fewer rental units, a converted dwelling of five or more, a property where the owner does not live, and a multi-unit property even where the owner lives in one unit. Units in apartment buildings and townhouses do not need one. A new licence needs a property standards inspection and a fire inspection, lasts one year, is posted inside the unit near the front entrance, and is replaced on a change of ownership. Source: [City of London, Residential rental unit licences](https://london.ca/business-development/business-licences/residential-rental-unit-licences)
- From September 15 to June 15 the landlord supplies continuous heat so the unit holds at least 20 C from 6 am to 11 pm and at least 18 C at all other times (section 3.4 of the Vital Services By-law PH-6). The Property Standards By-law CP-24 requires the heating system to be capable of those temperatures (section 5.2.2). Source: [City of London, Vital Services By-law PH-6](https://london.ca/by-laws/vital-services-law-ph-6)
- The Basement Flooding Grant pays 90 percent of the cost, up to: $1,800 for a backwater valve, $4,000 for a sump pit and pump with weeping tile disconnection, $7,000 for a storm private drain connection from the City main to the property line, $3,000 for the storm building sewer, and $1,400 for a battery backup with a new sump pump. It is for new installations before work starts, not repairs or replacements. Source: [City of London, Basement Flooding Grant Program](https://london.ca/living-london/water-environment/flooding/basement-flooding-grant-program)
- Since March 1, 2025, a landlord who serves an N13 for repairs that need vacant possession and a building permit applies for a Rental Unit Repair Licence for each unit within 7 days. The fee is $600 per unit, the licence lasts 6 months, and the building permit comes first. Source: [City of London, Rental Unit Repair Licence](https://london.ca/living-london/community-services/rental-housing-support/rental-unit-repair-licence-law-landlord)
- A lot can hold up to three additional residential units, four units in all. Every one needs a building permit and a Residential Rental Unit Licence, and under Interim Control By-law CP-1600-300, an interim rule, no unit may exceed 80 percent of the main dwelling's floor area. Source: [City of London, Additional residential units](https://london.ca/living-london/building-renovating/additional-residential-units)

## Related pages

- [Student housing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/student-housing/)
- [Waterproofing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/waterproofing/)
- [Multiplexes and rented houses](https://roundhousegroup.ca/buildings/multiplexes-and-houses/)

## Questions

### Does my London rental house need a licence?

If the building has four or fewer rental units, or you do not live there, yes, under the Residential Rental Units Licensing By-law CP-19. A new licence comes with a property standards and a fire inspection.

### What is London's overnight heat minimum?

18 C from 11 pm to 6 am, and 20 C during the day, between September 15 and June 15, under section 3.4 of the Vital Services By-law PH-6.

### Why does London pay to disconnect weeping tiles?

The City says weeping tiles in some older homes built before 1985 are generally connected to the sanitary sewer. It wants rain and groundwater out of that sewer, so its grant pays 90 percent of a sump pit and pump with disconnection, up to $4,000.

### Who checks a sewer backup at a London rental?

Call 519-661-4570 on weekdays or 519-661-4965 after hours. City staff check the sewer main at no cost; the lateral from the main to the home is the owner's to maintain and repair.