New rules and $300 fee coming for some landlords in Brampton

The city will be rolling out a test run of its new residential rental licensing program next year and could result in some Brampton landlords paying $300 in fees every year.

Brampton City Council approved the two-year pilot project earlier this month which will require the owner or landlord of rental properties in certain parts of the city and with up to four residential units to obtain a licence.

The program will launch in January in Wards 1,3,4,5 and 7 with licensing costs of $300 annually with fees waived for the first three months of the pilot. The price of a licence will be discounted to $150 between April 1 and June 30 and go up to $300 on July 1.

Council introduced the pilot to reduce the number of illegal suites and give bylaw officers more options for enforcement when dealing with problem properties.

A report to council showed landlords caught operating without a licence could be fined $600 for the first offence, $900 for the second and $1,200 for every following infraction. There are also $250 fines for offences like failing to provide adequate waste containers or violating the city’s grass and weed cutting bylaw.

The city expects to recoup $550,000 from fees over the two-year pilot project, leaving a $925,000 shortfall for the program, the report said.

Rental units in the wards under the program will also be subject to random inspections, and the city says registered second units, unregistered residential rental units and additional residential units all fall under the new rules.

The program will also require the hiring of new staff at the city, including two property standards officers, a business analyst, two full-time contract positions at the City Clerk’s office and a building division plan examiner.

The city says the program will be evaluated over the course of the two=year pilot “to make informed decisions for the program’s future.”

For more information on Brampton’s new residential rental licensing program or to register your property visit www.Brampton.ca/RRL​.

The City of Brampton is launching its new Residential Rental Licensing pilot program (RRL) set to begin on January 1, 2024.

The pilot program's goals include helping to maintain the character of local neighbourhoods, uphold property standard by-laws and keep individuals and… pic.twitter.com/Abx0INxON5

— City of Brampton (@CityBrampton) December 8, 2023