Landlord/tenant rights, dealing with problems, where to get help...
Low Heat/Thermostat problem
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cold Posts: 1
Posted On: 10/25/2021
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Hi,
I live in Waterloo-Kitchener area and I just moved into a unit of a building (16 units) a couple of months ago. This building is maintained by a corp. I have been working at home and the weather is getting colder each day. I sent the corp a maintenance request about the thermostat 2 months ago and they did not respond until this very day. I sent a follow-up mail again, and I am not sure if I am hearing anything back again.
It is a new building so there was still people working onsite. So I asked one of them if they could ask a tech to come over and check. The tech came twice to check. First time he said: "the hot water for the heating hadn't been turned on. I will call the plumber to look at it". I hadn't heard anything back after first attempt. Then I had to call again because the weather is getting colder, he came and checked for the second time- then he said "it works alright". But I know that it is not, the air coming out of the pipes is not hot, it is barely warm. The thermostat shows around 70F upto 74F if I turn it on for HOURS even though my desired temperature is set above 86F.
I know it is not snowing nowadays but I am very concerned about incoming months. After I searched a bit, I saw heat is to be above 20C/68F minimum. So what should I do if I see the thermostat is below 20C/68F? What are my rights? I'd really appreciate it if you could help me.
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4141
Posted On: 10/31/2021
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Hello there,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us, we can appreciate that you would be very concerned about this situation.
You may find helpful information in the Steps to Justice article, How much heat does my landlord have to provide? Here is an excerpt:
No matter what type of heating equipment you have, your landlord must keep it working properly so it can keep your place warm enough. Usually this means at least 20°C from September to June.
The exact temperature and dates are different for different places in Ontario. For example, in some areas the temperature must be 21°C, and in some places in Northern Ontario heat must be provided all year.
It is best that you contact a community legal clinic for some advice regarding your situation. You may also wish to call the Landlord and Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234 or 416-645-8080 (in the GTA) for information specific to your situation. The landlord and tenant board resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants.
It may also help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service.
Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
Sincerely,
Your Settlement.Org Team
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