[URBAN NOTE] "Council approves next step towards landlord licensing"

[rfmcdonald]

The Toronto Star's Jennifer Pagliaro reports.

In what’s being hailed a major win for tenants, city council has approved the next step towards licensing landlords. It’s a move advocates say will lead to better adherence to building standards and improve the quality of life of the half of Toronto’s residents who live in apartments.

Despite earlier pushback to the idea said to be emanating from the mayor’s office, a large majority of councillors agreed to go ahead with public consultations, as staff had recommended.

The vote was 33-6, with Councillors John Campbell, Christin Carmichael Greb, Stephen Holyday, Giorgio Mammoliti, Denzil Minnan-Wong and James Pasternak voting against.

“It’s a big relief that we’re in a position to continue working on this,” said Natalie Hundt, a spokesperson for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). “Right now I’m just really grateful that we have the opportunity, after 12 long years of work, to move forward on this, finally.”

City staff have proposed that licensing would apply to 3,300 apartment buildings that are three storeys or higher, with 10 units or more. Information would be made available to prospective and existing tenants as part of a proactive approach to ensuring that building standards are maintained, including requiring landlords to develop maintenance plans.