Toronto ACORN Victory! Council Votes for Colour-Coded RentSafeTO Signs

TORONTO— After years of organizing, petitioning, and keeping the pressure on Toronto City Council, ACORN members have won a huge step forward for tenants’ rights in Toronto: colour-coded RentSafeTO signs will soon be posted in every apartment building covered by the program.

At its last planning & housing committee meeting, City Council voted 20–3 in favour of a motion from Councillor Josh Matlow and Mayor Olivia Chow to strengthen RentSafeTO. RentSafe is the city’s main tool for enforcing property standards in apartment buildings, but ACORN and other tenant advocates in the city say it does not go far enough to protect tenants.

Thanks to the relentless advocacy of our ACORN members and allies, the motion wasn’t even held for debate. ACORN made sure that Councillors knew tenants wanted this, and were watching.

What This Means for Tenants

By July next year, landlords will be required to post large, easy-to-read signs in building lobbies showing their RentSafeTO inspection score.

• Green: Good condition
• Yellow: Needs improvement
• Red: Serious issues

This transparency means that tenants (and prospective renters) will see at a glance how well a building is maintained.

The changes don’t stop there:

• City inspections will now give more weight to serious issues like pests, mould, and broken appliances.
• The City will move toward higher fines that are harder for landlords to fight. No more relying on the slow Ontario provincial courts to hold them accountable.
  

What’s Next

In October, Council will vote on additional technical changes to make the program even more effective. ACORN will be there, and we’ll need your help to keep the pressure on!

Use our online action to send a demand to City Council for a RentSafe program with more teeth!

Want to be part of the next win?
👉 Join ACORN Today