When does a landlord have to turn on the heat?

In Ontario, not between September 1 and June 15, when heat is a vital service, and in Toronto the city's 21°C rule runs from October 1 to May 15. Manitoba says there is no set date when a landlord has to turn the heat on, and its minimums apply whenever the unit falls below them, while PEI's 65°F minimum applies at all times. In BC, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, a landlord who supplies heat cannot cut it off without an order, permission or your consent, depending on the province. Outside any heating season, the landlord's general repair duties and your city's bylaw still apply.

Put the request in writing and point to your province's rule: 20°C from September 1 in Ontario where the landlord provides heat, 22°C in Alberta, 21°C by day in Manitoba and 65°F in PEI where the owner supplies heat. If the landlord still refuses, call the local health or bylaw office (Environmental Public Health in Alberta, the Environmental Health Office in Manitoba, 311 in Toronto) and, in Ontario, the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit. Then apply to your tenancy office or tribunal, and keep paying rent while you do.

Where there is a provincial figure: at least 22°C in Alberta, 21°C from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 18.3°C overnight in Manitoba, 20°C from September 1 to June 15 in Ontario where the landlord provides heat, and 65°F (about 18°C) at all times in PEI where the owner supplies heat. BC, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador leave it to local bylaws, such as Saskatoon's 22°C, Fredericton's 70°F and Halifax's 21°C. A city can set a higher figure than the province, as Toronto does with 21°C.

In several provinces, yes. BC lists the primary heating system as an emergency repair, PEI lists the heating system, and New Brunswick treats problems with the primary heating system as an emergency that must be fixed without delay, so you can go straight to a residential tenancies officer. In Manitoba, emergency repairs must be done immediately, and heat is a vital service the landlord must never withhold. Elsewhere, treat it as urgent anyway: tell the landlord at once, in writing, and contact your tenancy office.

No. Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board says the heat rule applies even if rent is overdue or the tenant has damaged the property, and Nova Scotia's renting guide says landlords cannot turn off heat even when rent is owed or there is a dispute. Newfoundland and Labrador requires the tenant's written consent to disconnect heat, Saskatchewan requires an order or the tenant's agreement to cut off a service, BC bars cutting off essential services, and Manitoba says heat is a vital service the landlord must never withhold. The landlord's remedy for unpaid rent is the process in what to do if a tenant doesn't pay rent, not the thermostat.

No, in most cases keep paying. Withholding rent can lead to an eviction notice for unpaid rent, and PEI's Rental Office warns tenants not to do it; Manitoba's Branch also will not usually proceed while rent is owed, unless there is an immediate risk to health or safety. Use the repair and complaint routes instead: in BC and PEI you can arrange an emergency repair yourself and be repaid, and tribunals in Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador can reduce or rebate rent. See can I withhold rent from my landlord.

Start with the landlord's emergency contact, then the local health or bylaw office: Alberta Health Services Environmental Public Health in Alberta, your local Environmental Health Office in Manitoba, 311 in Toronto, and a municipal building inspector or the department of health in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Ontario, the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit handles vital services complaints. Your tenancy office or tribunal can order repairs, and in New Brunswick you can go straight to a residential tenancies officer about heat.

Sometimes, after following the steps. In Manitoba, if a repair breach puts your health or safety at risk, you can give notice ending the tenancy no earlier than 5 days later; in Saskatchewan, a material breach not fixed within a reasonable time lets you end the tenancy on one day's notice; and in Alberta you can end it on 14 days' notice if the landlord ignores a public health order. In Newfoundland and Labrador you can leave immediately if a regulatory authority declares the unit uninhabitable, or give notice for a material breach not fixed after written notice. In Ontario and New Brunswick, ask the Board or a residential tenancies officer to end the tenancy; see how to get out of a lease agreement.

Only if heat is included in your rent. In Alberta, the landlord must keep heat supplied unless the lease makes it the tenant's sole responsibility. The temperature rules in Ontario, Manitoba and PEI mostly apply where the landlord supplies or controls the heat; if heat is in your name, you pay for it and, in Nova Scotia, must keep the unit warm enough to prevent damage. Either way, the landlord still has to keep heating equipment it supplied in good repair.

Tell the landlord in writing, because heat that will not turn off usually points to a fault in heating equipment the landlord has to keep in repair. The provincial rules on this page set minimum temperatures, not maximums, so there is no provincial figure for too hot. If the landlord does not fix it, follow the same steps as for any repair, set out in what to do if your landlord refuses repairs.

A landlord who supplies the heat usually controls the system, but the temperature still has to meet any rule that applies, and heat generally cannot simply be cut off (British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, have rules against a landlord stopping heat it provides). We found no rule that bans a locked thermostat as such; what matters is the temperature you actually get. Alberta requires 22°C where someone other than you controls the heat, Ontario at least 20°C from September 1 to June 15 where the landlord provides heat, Manitoba 21°C by day and 18.3°C overnight, and PEI 65°F where the owner supplies heat. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador we found no provincial minimum temperature, so check your city's bylaw.

SQRFT's advice: if a locked thermostat keeps your home below the minimum, write down dated temperature readings and tell the landlord in writing.

A landlord who supplies the heat generally has to keep it working: Saskatchewan, for example, requires supplied heating to be kept in a good and functional state of repair, and PEI's public health rules require heating equipment to be in working order and good repair. A failed primary heating system is an emergency repair in BC and PEI, and in New Brunswick the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office treats work needed to keep heat as an emergency repair the landlord must make without delay. BC landlords must also have the furnace inspected and serviced as the manufacturer specifies, or once a year if there are no specifications.

Tell the landlord in writing and use the emergency contact first. Then, in BC and PEI you can arrange an emergency repair yourself once you have made reasonable attempts to reach the emergency contact and allowed reasonable time, and the landlord must reimburse you. In Manitoba you can file a Tenant's Request for Repairs with the Residential Tenancies Branch. In New Brunswick an officer may do emergency work if the landlord cannot be reached. In Newfoundland and Labrador an adjudicator can order repairs and a rent rebate. In Alberta, the RTDRS cannot order repairs, but you can ask it or the court for a rent reduction or compensation for the cost of the landlord's repairs. See what to do if your landlord refuses repairs.