Brampton has taken a major step to strengthen safety and crack down on unsafe rental units. Committee of Council has unanimously approved expanding the Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) program to every ward across the city, building on the success of the pilot that brought 869 units into compliance and issued more than $540,000 in fines.
The expanded program will begin rolling out in 2026, following the same approach that delivered strong results in the initial five-ward pilot. Every rental unit in Brampton must meet Ontario’s Building Code and Fire Code.
To support this citywide expansion, Council also directed staff to report back on the additional resources required for Fire Prevention, Building inspections, By-law Enforcement, and related functions. Brampton will be calling on both the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada to provide long-term funding to help municipalities manage the growing workload associated with newly downloaded responsibilities around Additional Residential Units (ARUs).
As part of the motion, Brampton is also urging the Province to modernize the Building Code Act to give Building Officials stronger inspection tools, similar to the authority they already have for commercial and institutional buildings. Proposed changes include conditional entry into units where permits have been applied for or where unauthorized changes of use are suspected, as well as establishing administrative monetary penalties for Building Code violations.
Council also asked staff to assess policies such as ARU bedroom limits, similar to approaches used in other cities, to help address overcrowding and property standards concerns. In addition, Brampton continues to advocate for faster adjudication at the Landlord and Tenant Board to ensure timely and safe resolution of rental disputes.
Finally, the City will continue working with the Ontario Real Estate Association, Brampton Real Estate Board, and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) to address the marketing of unregistered and illegal units and reinforce expectations for accurate disclosure.
The vast majority of landlords in Brampton already act responsibly. But for those who put tenants at risk by cutting corners, Council’s message is clear: unsafe and illegal rental units will not be tolerated. The RRL program has proven to be a powerful tool, and with its citywide expansion, Brampton is doubling down on its commitment to safe, healthy, beautiful and livable neighbourhoods.
