Renters Protection Office 

Renters in Waterloo are facing a crisis. With slumlords and absentee landlords rampant throughout our city, many of us have experienced flagrant violations of building standards and our city’s bylaws. Today, to protect yourself you need not only a deep understanding of your rights, but the time and knowledge to enforce them and the willingness to pick a fight with your own landlord. The results? Our neighbours are living in homes in disrepair with no simple way out.

We will establish a Renters Protection Office with a mandate to proactively and consistently inspect rentals in the city and to report on the issues plaguing renters. We will build a city that actively protects renters and roots out bad landlords.

Here’s how the Renters Protection Office will protect you: 

Proactive Inspections

The office will contain a team of Renters Protection Officers who will have the task of conducting inspections and collecting data on rental buildings all across Waterloo. These inspections will not be conditional on whether or not a tenant had the bravery or knowledge to report a landlord, but will be regular and random, with repeat and severe offenders finding themselves facing inspections more frequently.

These inspections will root out disrepair and protect a quality of life for residents in this city. Our homes must be liveable and dignified.

Data Collection and the Building Score Card

The Renters Protection Office will build on other successful protection offices such as RentSafeTO, by collecting data during inspections on the standard of care within the building. The Office will create scorecards to hold bad landlords accountable and prevent future tenants from being caught by surprise by a building in disrepair.

If violations of your rights as a renter exist, it will be made known to you and we will work to protect you. If you’re a good landlord who cares for your property and your tenants, this scorecard is a great advertising opportunity! And for slumlords and absentee landlords with failing scores, it will be known and your building will be subject to an audit.

Finally, information collected during inspections and audits can help serve as a tool to facilitate information gathering during Landlord Tenant Board conflicts, serving as a source of fact to help speed along cases at a time when the LTB system is facing immense backlogs.

It is simple. Renters should have an understanding of the quality of their homes. Landlords who work hard and protect their tenants should be rewarded, those who do not must be held to account. Waterloo must be liveable and dignified.