Canadian cities consider heat bylaws for rental housing

Cities across Canada are debating new rules that would require rental housing to stay within safer indoor temperatures during hot weather, as climate change drives more frequent and dangerous heat waves. In New Westminster, B.C., council is expected to approve what is believed to be Canada’s first maximum heat bylaw. The measure would require rental units to provide at least one living space, excluding bathrooms, with an average indoor temperature of no more than 26 C overnight. The push follows the 2021 B.C. heat dome, which was linked to hundreds of deaths and exposed the vulnerability of older apartment buildings. The article notes that similar debates are underway in Toronto, Hamilton, Halifax and Newfoundland and Labrador. Supporters say cooling rules are needed to protect tenants, especially in older, lowerrise buildings that were not designed for hotter summers. Critics and housing advocates say the main challenge is who pays for upgrades, since retrofits such as heat pumps, shading or electrical work could add costs that may be passed on to renters.