Nearly $700K in fines issued under landlord registration program in Brampton

Close to $700,000 in fines have been issued and thousands of rentals have been brought up to code since the landlord registration program launched in Brampton.

In an update to Wards 3 and 4 residents at a townhall meeting last month, Brampton Bylaw Services revealed that there have been 893 penalty notices with fines of $695,550 issued under the Residential Rental License program.

The at times controversial program started as a pilot for landlords in wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7, requiring landlords in certain wards with properties that have four or fewer rental units to obtain a license to operate. But the program went city-wide this year following a fire at a rental home that killed three adults, a two-year-old child and an unborn baby.

Some 3,984 licenses have been issued between Jan. 1, 2024, and March 31, 2026. Over 13,000 new applications were received when the RRL was expanded to include all of Brampton in 2026, according to bylaw services.

READ MORE: City-wide landlord registration now required in Brampton

The program was billed as a way to cut down on overcrowding and dangerous conditions in rental units, and to hold landlords and tenants responsible for property standards issues. The city says the program has helped bring 2,497 rental units into fire code and safety code compliance.

Landlords of properties that have four or fewer rental units to obtain a license to operate. The updated RRL rules apply to “owners of a rental housing unit, operators of a rental housing unit, and dwelling units used or intended to be used as a rental housing unit,” according to the bylaw.

Landlords must apply for or renew their RRL licence before renting units, and all new and renewing landlords must complete an online learning module to show their understanding of the city’s rental regulations before being issued a licence.

A $300 registration fee that was first introduced with the program was scrapped amid pushback from landlords, some of whom held protests and felt they were being unfairly called “slum landlords” or “slumlords” by members of Brampton City Council.

And while fees will continue to be waived, not registering with the RRL can lead to fines up to $1,500.

Initial estimates showed the projected revenue of the pilot was $450,000 before the $300 registration fees were waived, with a budget shortfall of $925,000.