# Toronto rental maintenance calendar

Updated 2026-10-03.

Print this and pin it to the maintenance file. Dates are for Toronto rental buildings where the landlord supplies heat and, where applicable, air conditioning.

## September

- Heat is a vital service from September 1 under O. Reg. 516/06, at 20 C. Toronto's 21 C minimum starts October 1.
- Confirm heating equipment has been serviced ahead of the October 1 deadline.
- Order any furnace or boiler parts on back order before the season starts.

## October

- Heating season begins October 1. Toronto requires at least 21 degrees Celsius, measured 1.5 metres above the floor, in all areas of a unit where the landlord supplies the heat, through May 15 (Chapter 497, section 497-2.1 A).
- Confirm thermostats and any building wide heating controls are set for the season.

## November

- Check eavestroughs and downspouts are clear before freezing weather.
- Inspect exterior taps and any exposed pipe runs for freeze risk.

## December and January

- Respond to no heat calls as a priority during the coldest months.
- Check common area doors and weatherstripping for drafts.

## February

- Mid winter check on any building with a known freeze risk area.

## March

- Begin scheduling air conditioning and heat pump service ahead of the June 1 season.

## April

- Test sump pumps and backwater valves before spring rain.
- Check window wells and grading around the building.

## May

- Toronto's 21 C minimum ends May 15. Heat stays a vital service under O. Reg. 516/06 until June 15, at 20 C.

## June

- Cooling season begins June 1. Where air conditioning is installed, the unit must not exceed 26 degrees Celsius through September 30 (section 497-2.2).
- A RentSafeTO apartment building that does not cool every unit keeps at least one existing indoor amenity space at 26 C or less over the same months, unless only construction could achieve it (section 497-2.3).

## July and August

- Respond to no cooling calls as a priority during the hottest months.
- Check exterior grounds and irrigation.

## Year round, every unit

- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms tested at each tenancy change and at least once a year.
- Vacant units checked on a schedule between tenancies, especially over winter.

See [HVAC, heating and cooling](https://roundhousegroup.ca/services/hvac/) and [vacant unit winter checklist](https://roundhousegroup.ca/resources/vacant-unit-winter-checklist/).

## Sources

- [City of Toronto By-law 1511-2025, Chapter 497, Indoor Temperature Standards, sections 497-2.1 A, 497-2.2 and 497-2.3, in force June 1, 2026](https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2025/law1511.pdf)
- [O. Reg. 516/06 under the Residential Tenancies Act, section 4, heat as a vital service](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/060516)
- [O. Reg. 213/07, Fire Code, made under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070213)

We only use ECRA/ESA-Licensed Electrical Contractors.