Heat-related deaths and illnesses could rise without proper cooling for Ontario tenants, advocates say

Although this spring has offered more than a few chilly days, that’s cold comfort for tenants throughout Canada who worry that they’re one heat wave away from heat stroke (or worse) if all levels of government don’t take action to mandate that landlords–all of them–provide residents with working air conditioning during the warmest months of the year. 

“It’s a big problem,” says Marcia Bryan, chairperson for the Cooksville chapter of Peel ACORN, an independent social and economic justice organization comprised of low- and moderate-income residents.

“It’s a problem I’ve dealt with myself, especially last summer. When it’s hot, it’s hot and when it’s cold, it’s cold in here.”

Bryan and other ACORN members recently appeared at Celebration Square in Mississauga to highlight the findings of a recent report, released by the advocacy group, that indicates that 44 per cent of low- and moderate-income tenants lack access to air conditioning, often because they cannot afford it.

Bryan, who lives in an older building in Mississauga’s Cooksville neighbourhood, said she and her family have been unable to replace their window air conditioner unit, which was damaged by pigeons, due to cost concerns. 

“When I’m cooking, it’s really, really bad. We’re sweating bullets,” she tells INsauga.com.

“We have fans, but they’re not powerful enough to keep us cool. Sometimes we take showers three times a day. When it’s hot outside and hot indoors, where do you go? You can’t escape it. It can get up to 30 degrees.” 

The report, released in May, contains data based on 750 responses to an online survey sent to the advocacy group’s network of tenants. ACORN says climate change is responsible for the uptick in temperatures across Canada and that air conditioning should no longer be considered a luxury, but a necessity. 

ACORN’s report indicates that 54 per cent of tenants identified extreme summer heat as their primary maintenance issue and only 19 per cent of respondents reported their landlords conducting energy efficiency repairs. 

Of those tenants who received eco-retrofits, 34 per cent also saw their rent increase as a result of the change, according to ACORN. 

The report states that 2023 data from Energy Efficiency Canada indicates that renters are more likely than homeowners to live in older homes with inefficient heating equipment. This means that, despite their units generally being more affordable, utility costs can be higher. The data also suggests that tenants face increased health risks when extreme weather hits. 

High energy costs can be harder for low-income tenants to manage. The report says the Government of Canada’s Green Buildings Strategy found that in 2023, nearly 50 per cent of the lowest-income households relied on inefficient heating, and 36 per cent did not have access to air conditioning. 

The report says approximately 14 per cent of Canadian households (18 per cent among low-income households) faced challenges maintaining safe and comfortable indoor temperatures due to increasing energy costs and 2.6 per cent of lower-income households in Canada reported requiring medical assistance for someone in the home related to a lack of temperature control. 

The report also indicates Canada’s residential buildings account for 47 per cent of buildings sector emissions in Canada (excluding electricity), adding that 20 per cent of all homes (about three million) are more than 80 years old, 50 per cent are more than 60 years old and about 12 per cent have been built in every decade since 1980.

Bryan says ACORN is now asking all levels of government to mandate that all building owners and operators keep units no hotter than 26 degrees in the warmer months, adding that while that threshold applies to landlords who rent out air-conditioned units, it does not apply to those who do not already provide the service. 

“We want to bring awareness of what landlords can do to help tenants,” she says, adding that she doesn’t want to see a repeat of the spate of deaths recorded in 2021 in British Columbia when approximately 600 people died after an extreme heat wave hit the province. 

While she says she is not personally aware of any heat-related deaths in Mississauga (Ontario does track heat-related deaths, but some experts say they’re underreported due to their classification as ‘accidental deaths’), she wants tenants to know they can speak about their struggles and advocate for themselves. 

“People just grin and bear it, so to speak. They think no one can help and that no one is listening, so we need to raise awareness,” she says.

As for more concrete action, ACORN is asking the federal government to compel all provinces to implement national energy poverty programs modeled after Ontario’s Energy Support Program, enforce maximum heat bylaws and ensure that retrofit agreements include affordability and anti-eviction guarantees, as well as cooling and energy efficiency upgrades, “tenant-first repairs,” transparent agreements and formal tenant participation.

As of now, some cities, including Mississauga, do require landlords to abide by maximum temperature policies–but only if they already provide AC to tenants.

In 2018, Mississauga council enacted the adequate temperature bylaw, which requires landlords to maintain a year-round minimum temperature of 20°C. If a rental unit is equipped with air conditioning (provided at the expense of the landlord), the unit temperature must not exceed 26°C. 

A city spokesperson told INsauga.com that while the heating provisions apply to all rental units, the cooling provisions do not apply to units that are not equipped with air conditioning. 

“Currently, the Residential Tenancies Act does not consider air conditioning to be a vital service and therefore the city does not require landlords to install or retrofit rental units with air conditioning,” the spokesperson said in an email to INsauga.com. 

“At this time, the City of Mississauga does not have immediate plans to amend the bylaw; however, will continue to review the bylaw periodically to ensure it remains in compliance with any changes to provincial legislation and housing standards.”

Some cities are already exploring ways to keep all tenants cooler during the summer months. 

Toronto and Hamilton are among the cities exploring a maximum temperature bylaw, with Toronto council directing staff to report back with possible next steps later this year. The number of days exceeding 30 degrees in Toronto could more than triple by mid-century, from about 20 days to 66 days, according to a staff report prepared for council.

Landlord groups have argued that a maximum temperature bylaw would prompt building owners to pass on air conditioning costs to tenants through rent increases, which would create additional backlogs at provincial tribunals.

Tenant groups argue any maximum temperature bylaws should also be paired with government supports to ensure tenants are not saddled with additional costs.

Bryan says that with climate change making summers hotter, it’s time for governments to consider air conditioning essential and not force tenants to decide between purchasing their own window unit or food. 

“More people can’t afford certain things and when it comes down to it–if you have to decide between AC or food, what will you choose? If something isn’t done, it’ll definitely get worse,” Bryan says. 

“People will ask if they should forgo rent or groceries.” 

With files from Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press