Item - 2024.PH10.1

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the report (February 13, 2024) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building for information.

On December 14, 2022, Toronto City Council adopted a new regulatory framework including amendments to the Zoning Bylaw, to permit multi-tenant houses (also known as rooming houses) across Toronto. City Council also adopted a new Multi-Tenant Houses Licensing Bylaw, which will introduce consistent standards, regulatory oversight and enforcement to help protect the safety of tenants and respond to neighbourhood concerns. The new zoning and licensing bylaws will apply as of March 31, 2024.

Toronto Building, in collaboration with Toronto Fire Services, has completed an evaluation of the Ontario Building Code requirements for multi-tenant houses. This work was undertaken with support from a third-party Building Code Consultant who has expertise in fire protection engineering. The objective was to identify ways to help multi-tenant house operators find alternative and cost-effective solutions to common challenges which they may face in achieving compliance with prescriptive requirements of the Ontario Building Code and the companion requirements of the Ontario Fire Code. The purpose of this staff report is to provide City Council with an update on this work and identify how the results will be shared with the public.

It is important to note that this report is not a technical design guide. Toronto Building, in collaboration with divisional partners is developing public-facing guidelines, to be released at the end of March, that will assist designers and operators with compliance and help to facilitate and expedite the building permit approvals process. This work also aligns with other programs, such as the proposed "Multi-Tenant Homes Renovation Program" also being considered by the Planning and Housing Committee.

The Code compliance issues identified by stakeholders have been long standing. A conversion of housing that was originally constructed as a single dwelling unit to a multi-tenant dwelling is challenging and complex. Issues include determining necessary upgrades, but also how to incorporate them in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Through reviews of Toronto-based case-studies, the Ontario Building Code, the Ontario Fire Code, and a jurisdictional analysis, the study concluded that developing a single package of generic alternative compliance options is not the most efficient approach for designers, or cost-effective for operators. Instead, the review identified a package of fire protection and life safety requirements that were most challenging and presented barriers to compliance. Each was evaluated by the Code Consultant for compliance options, or alternative solutions related to the Ontario Building Code requirements, and compliance paths were identified.  

These options are intended to provide designers, owners, and operators with a “menu” of available means to achieve compliance so that they can determine which is the most practical solution when considering costs, timing/duration of construction, and disruption to tenants, among other criteria. There are many options available and likely a high degree of variability of work that may be necessary for any particular building to comply with the Ontario Building Code.

Toronto Building is now working to facilitate and expedite the permit review and inspection process through the development of clear public-facing guidelines and checklists. Through the Toronto Building's Program Review initiative, the Division has also established a City-Wide Priorities Team dedicated to supporting Council identified priorities, such as multi-tenant housing.

This report has been written in consultation with Toronto Fire Services, Municipal Licensing and Standards, City Planning, and the Housing Secretariat.