Introducing Colour-Coded Signage for RentSafeTO

At its meeting of July 23 and 24, 2025, City Council adopted MM32.23 - Taking Action to Protect Tenants and directed Municipal Licensing and Standards to establish a colour-coded rating system based on the dynamic building evaluation score of the building, and that the colour-coded rating system be integrated into the RentSafeTO online Interactive Building Score Map. Council further directed Municipal Licensing and Standards to report directly to Council with the necessary amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings to establish colour-coded signage based on the building score for RentSafeTO buildings. This report proposes amendments to Chapter 354 to implement colour-coded signage for apartment buildings in Toronto by July 31, 2026.

require apartment building owners and operators, where the Executive Director notifies them that the building score has changed such that the building falls under a different colour category, to replace the existing signage with signage that reflects the new colour category, within 14 calendar days of the Executive Director providing the notice; and c. require apartment building owners and operators to inform tenants and prospective tenants of the colour-coded rating of the apartment building before a lease agreement is signed, on the signing of a lease agreement and annually thereafter and provide the colour-coded rating of the apartment building to any person on request. 2. City Council clarify the existing authority for the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to provide a rating system for buildings by adding a new section 354-5.1C as follows: C. The Executive Director is authorized to establish an apartment building evaluation system based on the results of site visits, pre-audits, audits and/or any other inspection assessing an apartment building's compliance with City by-laws and other applicable law, with such a building evaluation system including: (1) providing each apartment building an evaluation score which will be posted on the City's website; and (2) developing a colour-coded rating system sorting apartment buildings into categories based on their compliance with City by-laws and other applicable law and providing each apartment building a colour-coded rating which the owner or operator must post in the apartment building. 3. City Council direct that the amendments to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings come into effect on July 31, 2026.