Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
A two-year pilot project to license rental landlords in Wards 1, 8 and 14 is now underway, meaning a license is required for every rental property with four or fewer rental units.
For more details, please continue reading below…
On August 6, 2021 Councillors Danko and Maureen Wilson (Ward 1) issued a press release where they stated they were jointly committed to immediately implement the proposed Rental Housing Licensing by-law with a full cost recovery fee so that all expenses are paid by landlords and not City taxpayers.
At the August 10 2021 planning committee meeting, members voted unanimously in favour of the motion raised by councillors Danko and Wilson to start the Rental Housing Licensing Pilot project. Council ratified this decision at a September, 2021 meeting.
The pilot project by-law will require rental business owners (landlords) to licence their rental units. Licenses will only be granted if the rental units fully comply with the Ontario building code, fire code, electrical code, parking requirements, room size and layout and all other regulations. Rental housing units and buildings or part of buildings with 4 or less self-contained units, detached homes or townhouses will be subject to the new pilot program.
In order to be licensed, landlords will be required to submit their properties to interior and exterior inspections by the City (currently, the City cannot enforce violations unless inspectors are invited into a unit). The total estimated cost as approved by City Council on August 13, 2021 is estimated to cost $2,147,055 with no net levy impact based on the assumption that 2,000 rental units will be licensed annually during the pilot project.
For full details and requirements for landlords and tenants are located on the City’s Rental Housing Licensing pilot program website: www.hamilton.ca/rentalhousinglicence.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.