What is a rooming house and what are the rules?
Posted August 27, 2015 4:11 pm.
Last Updated August 27, 2015 4:22 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rooming houses have been making headlines lately for all the wrong reasons.
On Wednesday, the owner of an illegal rooming house in Toronto was fined $75,000 after being found guilty of numerous fire code violations following a fatal blaze two years ago.
Officials with the city of Toronto also revealed that a rowhouse that went up in flames in Kensington Market early Thursday was being investigated last year as a possible rooming house. It was later determined by Toronto Fire that it wasn’t.
And a story in Toronto Life magazine outlined one couple’s nightmare story about how the home they rented out was turned into a rooming house without their knowledge.
What is a rooming house?
According to the city of Toronto: “Rooming houses can include a house, apartment or building where you share a kitchen and/or washroom with four or more people that pay individual rent.”
Current rules and regulations:
Rooming houses are only permitted in the former cities of York, Toronto and Etobicoke. Rooming houses that operate in Toronto and Etobicoke must be licensed.
How to apply for a rooming house licence:
Etobicoke:
Contact Toronto Building to confirm zoning. Etobicoke York District, 2 Civic Centre Court, 1st Floor, 416-394-8002 Once zoning has been confirmed, you can apply for a rooming house licence. Applications can be picked up at the Toronto Public Health office at Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall, 4th Floor, North Building
Toronto:
Contact Shanta Persaud at spersaud@toronto.ca or 416-392-7594
How many rooming houses are there in Toronto?
According to the city, 328 properties are licenced, or seeking a licence to become a legal rooming house.
The city of Toronto recently funded a review, including public consultations on rooming houses. Read the full report here.
