Tenants want ‘better living conditions': Councillors plan to revive RentSafe signage plan
Some Toronto city councillors are reviving a plan to force landlords to display colour-coded RentSafe signs on their apartment buildings — ranking them based on property standards and building violations.
The proposal, modeled after the city's DineSafe program, would see green, yellow, or red placards posted at building entrances depending on inspection results.
Councillors Josh Matlow and Chris Moise, who announced the plan Wednesday in St. James Town, say the goal is to hold negligent landlords accountable and empower renters with clear, visible information about the safety and condition of their homes.
'Unfortunately, not all apartment buildings in our city meet the basic standards that we expect and deserve,' Moise said. 'We are going to bring a members motion to the July city council meeting to strengthen the rent safety program.'
A similar motion failed under former mayor John Tory in 2020, but the councillors plan to bring it back to city council later this month, citing strong public support and growing urgency from tenants.
How do residents feel about the program?
Moise, whose ward includes St. James Town, said the majority of residents he represents are renters, and many have been vocal about unsafe conditions, repair delays, and poor communication from landlords.
'Over 75 per cent of residents in my ward are renters, and during the last election, I heard from many tenants that they want better living conditions, more urgency for repairs and maintenance, and greater transparency and accountability.'
He adds that a city-wide survey conducted in 2020 showed 81 per cent of residents supported the idea of a colour-coded system for rating rental buildings.
An even higher number at 85 per cent — said they wanted signage clearly posted on building entrances.
Moise said support in St. James Town was especially high.
'Turn the whole system upside down', Matlow says
Matlow, who co-created the RentSafe program in 2017, said the signage proposal is a necessary fix to a system that still allows too many negligent landlords to operate unchecked.
'While I'm proud of the work we did, I think it's really important to also recognize when we can do better,' he said.
'If you're irresponsible, if you're neglectful, if you see your tenants only as a source of revenue, rather than people who have a home in your building, then yes—we're going to put a red sign right in your window.'
A program inspired by DineSafe
The signs would mirror the city's restaurant rating system: green for full compliance, yellow for properties with outstanding but non-urgent orders, and red for serious health and safety violations.
Moise emphasized that the signs are not about 'stigmatization,' but about giving tenants and prospective renters critical information.
'As chair of the board of health, I have witnessed firsthand how the DineSafe program has built trust and had a positive impact,' he said. 'When restaurants receive a yellow poster, their owners and managers are highly motivated to resolve issues and earn that green poster back.'
Matlow echoed that sentiment.
'We want to turn the whole system upside down and make it work,' he said.
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