# Maintenance for rented houses, duplexes and small multiplexes No superintendent, no boiler room, no management office. We are the one number every tenant in the building calls about repairs. In a rented house or a small multiplex the owner answers for the whole property, one furnace often serves every unit, and the tenant downstairs is the first to know when the roof water has nowhere to go. Toronto permits four unit multiplexes city wide, and six unit buildings in some parts of the city. ## Small building, the same duties RentSafeTO registration starts at three storeys and 10 units, so most houses and multiplexes sit outside it. Chapter 629, Property Standards, does not. The owner repairs, maintains and keeps the property clean, takes immediate action on any unsafe condition, and keeps every supplied facility working safely (section 629-5). The occupant keeps the unit clean and sanitary, keeps exits clear and co-operates with the landlord on repairs (section 629-6). ## Roof water is cheaper to clear than to pump out Chapter 629 requires roof drainage to run to an eavestrough and a downpipe that discharges into the building drain or no more than 150 millimetres above grade, directed so it does not damage the neighbour's property or ice a walkway (section 629-20). Every eavestrough, flashing and downpipe is kept free from leaks and obstructions. Clearing them each fall costs less than one wet basement unit. See [exterior and grounds](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/exterior/). ## One furnace, two or three tenancies A shared furnace, water heater or panel means one repair touches every unit, and shutting the water off for a valve upstairs shuts it off downstairs too. Each unit we need to enter gets its own written notice, with the reason, the day and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., under section 27 of the Residential Tenancies Act. Who pays for heat decides the heat rule. Toronto's minimum of 21 degrees Celsius from October 1 to May 15 applies where heat is provided at the owner's expense, and in a split house the main floor tenant may pay the gas while the basement tenant does not. We check the lease for each unit before treating a cold unit as a no heat call. ## Older houses hide older materials - **Knob and tube wiring.** Found behind a fixture, it stops the fixture swap until a Licensed Electrical Contractor has looked at the circuit. - **Cast iron and galvanized pipe.** Stacks and supply lines crack or seize when disturbed, so the plumber quotes for what is behind the wall, not only the fixture. - **Loose fill insulation.** In an attic or wall, it is left alone until it has been tested. We only use ECRA/ESA-Licensed Electrical Contractors. ## Related pages - [Exterior and grounds](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/exterior/) - [Roofing](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/roofing/) - [Basement and secondary suites](https://roundhousegroup.ca/buildings/secondary-suites/) ## Questions ### Does RentSafeTO apply to a Toronto triplex or fourplex? Not by size alone. RentSafeTO registration applies to rental apartment buildings with three or more storeys and 10 or more units, so a house split into two to four units falls outside it. Chapter 629, Property Standards, still applies. ### Who is responsible for the eavestroughs on a rented house in Toronto? Chapter 629 puts the duty to repair and maintain the property on the owner, and requires every eavestrough, gutter, flashing and downpipe to be kept free from leaks, defects and obstructions and in good repair. ### Does Toronto's 21 degree heat rule apply when the tenant pays for heat? The City applies the 21 degree minimum from October 1 to May 15 where heating is provided at the property owner's expense. Where the tenant pays for the heat, check what the lease says about who supplies it. ### How many units can a Toronto house be converted into? Four unit multiplexes are permitted city wide. Six unit permissions vary by location. A conversion still needs building permits and has to meet zoning and the other City by-laws. ### What counts as an emergency? Plumbing, electrical, major appliance and heating or cooling failures, lockouts, and a door that will not lock. These are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone and text. This website is not an emergency line. ## Sources - [City of Toronto, Multiplex Housing](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/planning-studies-initiatives/multiplex-housing/) - [Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 629, Property Standards, sections 629-5, 629-6 and 629-20](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_629.pdf) - [City of Toronto, indoor temperatures in apartment units](https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/rental-housing-rights-information/housing-property-standards/indoor-temperatures-in-apartment-units/) - [City of Toronto, RentSafeTO registration and renewal](https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/rental-housing-rights-information/housing-property-standards/apartment-building-standards/rentsafeto-for-building-owners/rentsafeto-registration/) - [Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17, section 27](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17)