Hamilton City Staff Delay Heat Bylaw Draft Until September

Hamilton city staff received approval Tuesday to delay a draft bylaw that would set a maximum indoor temperature for rental units. The proposed bylaw would require landlords to cool units to at least 26 C. City council first directed staff to produce the draft in 2023, with an original target of December that year.

At a planning committee meeting, staff asked for more time to incorporate recent provincial rule changes. Those changes allow tenants to install air conditioning units in buildings where landlords had previously blocked them. Staff said the new provincial legislation also reduces the risk that landlords will seek rent increases tied to air conditioning costs.

The committee voted to accept a September deadline for the draft.

Tenants who spoke at the meeting described indoor temperatures reaching 32 C to 40 C in their units. Some said they had limited mobility due to health conditions and could not easily reach city cooling centers. Residents noted that Ontario requires minimum heating standards but leaves cooling requirements largely to tenants.

They said the absence of a maximum temperature rule has left some apartments above 30 C even in spring and fall. Dan Smith, director of Licensing and By-law Services, said the bylaw is now planned for implementation in spring 2027. Committee decisions require confirmation by full city council.