St. Catharines has become the first municipality in Niagara to adopt a vital services bylaw, giving it greater powers to ensure landlords who are supposed to be providing tenants heat, water and gas are actually doing it.
The new bylaw and related financial penalties, passed by city council Monday night, was drafted by city staff after the bylaw division spent three months in the fall and winter of 2021 trying to force a property owner to turn a tenant’s services back on.
Despite the city issuing a property standards order and taking other steps within its authority, the problem dragged on. The new bylaw is expected to speed up the process and provide greater enforcement tools.
Hamilton, Toronto, Vaughan and Cambridge have vital services bylaws, while Mississauga and Caledon have them pertaining to heat only.
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