Ontario landlords are required to keep tenants warm in the winter. Ottawa Centre MPP Catherine McKenney says it is time the province offered the same protection from extreme heat in the summer.
Proposed Legislation
McKenney has introduced a private member's bill that would require Ontario landlords to keep rental units at or below 26 degrees Celsius during the summer months by adding cooling to the definition of a vital service under the Residential Tenancies Act.
The proposal comes as climate change drives hotter summers and more frequent heat waves, raising concerns about residents living in apartments without air conditioning.
Safety Concerns
We know that people suffer, and often die, from extreme heat in their homes, McKenney said. While landlords have to provide a minimum temperature for cold, this is to establish that maximum heat temperature so that people are kept safe.
The Ford government has not committed to supporting the bill. In a statement, Housing Minister Rob Flack's office said municipalities already have the authority to implement their own rules.
Municipalities can implement maximum temperature bylaws as they see fit, spokesperson Michael Minzak said.
The ministry also said that beginning July 1, tenants across Ontario will be permitted to install air conditioning units in their rental homes without facing penalties.
Uncertain Future
The bill's future is also uncertain. Queen's Park adjourned last week and will not return until October 27, meaning the proposal will not advance before another summer of potentially dangerous heat.
Research Foundation
The proposed 26 degrees Celsius standard is rooted in years of research at the University of Ottawa's Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, where physiologist Glen Kenny and his team study how the human body responds to extreme heat.
Kenny has spent years studying a deceptively simple question: how hot is too hot inside a home?
For Kenny, 26 degrees Celsius is an important number. His research has found that heat-related health risks begin to increase above that temperature, particularly for seniors and people with chronic illnesses.
Having indoor temperatures capped at 26 is something I have been calling for, for many years, Kenny said.
Kenny's team exposed older adults to temperatures ranging from normal room conditions to temperatures consistent with those measured inside homes during British Columbia's 2021 heat dome.
The studies helped establish 26 degrees Celsius as a safe upper indoor temperature limit for vulnerable adults. Kenny said prolonged exposure above 31 degrees Celsius places additional strain on the body.
Kenny said the uOttawa lab is the only one in the world conducting heat-wave simulations focused on vulnerable populations such as seniors. He said the research has helped inform recommendations on indoor temperatures and other measures aimed at protecting people during extreme heat events.
