Hamilton's new 'safe apartment' bylaw starts Jan. 1. Here's what landlords, tenants need to know

Hamilton's new rules intended to improve apartment building conditions will roll out Jan. 1.

The Safe Apartment Buildings Bylaw was passed by council in 2024 — one of a number of measures staff and elected officials enacted to help tenants remain in their homes.

"It focuses on keeping buildings well maintained, addressing concerns in a timely way and strengthening our ability as a city to support safe, reliable housing in our community," said city manager Marnie Cluckie in a news release earlier in December.

Council approved $2 million to start the program including hiring 25 staff. The registration fees are expected to cover 65 per cent of the costs. The city estimated nearly 900 buildings would fall under the bylaw.

Landlords will be required to register their rental buildings with the city. The registration deadline is Feb. 28, 2026, the city says.

Landlords will also need to create plans to show how they keep the building in good condition in terms of repairs, cleaning, electrical maintenance, vital service disruptions and pest and waste management.

The buildings covered under the bylaw must be two or more storeys and contain six or more units.

Evaluation results to be made public

Bylaw officers will evaluate buildings and give them public scores based on maintenance practices and standards, it said. The evaluations will focus on interior and exterior common areas, but bylaw will speak to tenants if necessary.

Next steps are based on the evaluation score as follows:

• 85 per cent or higher, evaluation in three years.

• 51 to 84 per cent, evaluation in two years.

• 50 per cent or lower, audit with unit-by-unit inspections based on tenant reports, door knocking to speak with tenants and review of building standards are record keeping. Bylaw violations may be laid and the inspection results will be made public.

The bylaw also requires landlords to provide tenants with a notification board in a common area with building and contact information, the city says.

It will also require landlords create a clear process for tenants to submit service requests to address issues like pests, repair needs and building safety, says the city. Landlords must respond within 24 hours to five days, depending on the request.

More details about the bylaw can be found here.