City law mandates a minimum temperature of 21 C in winter but lacks a similar rule for cooling in summer. While air-conditioned apartments must stay below 26 C, this standard doesn’t apply to units without air conditioning.
The proposed bylaw, which will go before city council on Dec. 17, would require landlords to maintain indoor temperatures in rental units below 27 C. If approved, the regulation will take effect on April 30, 2025, in time for summer.
My building’s AC failed when it was supposed to be started up in May about a decade ago. The condo ended up buying a portable AC unit for each apartment – some people were pissed because they had to pay the electricity to operate it. We asked them if they’d like us to take the unit back, and 100% of them said no. :)
It was an awful summer, but the A/C was replaced with a new modern unit, and not only was it better, but it used about half the power of the 30 year old unit.