Brampton City Council has approved plans for a new rental landlord registration and licensing program aimed at tackling the issue of illegal rental suites and protecting tenants in the city. The two-year pilot project, which is set to launch in the first quarter of 2024, will bring in new regulations for Brampton landlords, drawing on “best practices” from similar programs in Toronto and Mississauga.

The pilot will focus on Wards 1, 3, 4 and 5, identified by city staff as “hotspot areas” with the highest concentrations of property standard issues across the city. The program will introduce measures such as a cap on the number of rental units allowed per housing type, random inspections of short-term rentals, a limit on the number of residents in lodging homes, and a “Rental Housing Code of Conduct” outlining tenant and landlord responsibilities. A demerit point system for landlords may also be implemented to encourage compliance with the City’s bylaws.

The program will be funded through licensing and renewal fees, which will also help offset enforcement costs. The move comes as the Province recently announced $6.5 million in funding for additional Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) adjudicators and staff to improve service standards and reduce dispute decision times.

Peel ACORN, a group of residents and rental advocates, has been pushing for more tenant protections in Brampton and across the province. They have been vocal about the need for measures to protect low and moderate-income buildings from being purchased by developers and for limits on how many buildings “financialized landlords” can own. ACORN will hold a rally in Brampton on Wednesday to demand action from the federal government on the affordable housing crisis.

By introducing the rental landlord registration and licensing program, Brampton aims to reduce the number of illegal rental suites, improve rental housing standards, and better protect tenants. The program will also provide the City with more enforcement options when dealing with bad actors, ensuring a safer and more secure rental housing market.

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