New Westminster has become one of the few Canadian cities to enforce a bylaw capping indoor temperatures in rental units at 26°C, as advocates push for broader protections amid rising summer heat. The measure, effective June 8, requires at least one living space in each unit to stay below that threshold overnight from April to October.
Heat Bylaws Gain Traction After Deadly 2021 Heat Dome
British Columbia’s 2021 heat dome, which killed 619 people—98% of them indoors—prompted New Westminster’s action. A coroner’s report found most victims were seniors in non-air-conditioned homes. Ontario has since updated its Residential Tenancies Act to allow tenants to install portable AC units as of July 1, but B.C. has not revised its provincial tenancy laws.
Monica Bhandari, co-chair of ACORN New Westminster, described taking cold showers and icing her body to cope with extreme indoor heat in her apartment. “I have left my apartment at times, and it’s cooler outside,” she said. The city’s mayor, Patrick Johnstone, emphasized the need for safe overnight temperatures: “We just want to make sure that people can sleep securely in their bed.”
Landlord Concerns and Infrastructure Challenges
Landlord BC CEO David Hutniak cited financial and infrastructure barriers, noting that low-cost solutions like fans or curtains may not meet the bylaw’s requirements. Older buildings often lack the electrical capacity for AC units, and landlords worry about recouping upgrade costs. Marianne Touchie, a University of Toronto building performance researcher, argued that exterior shading and heat-rejecting windows are more effective than interior fixes.
In Alberta, ACORN Calgary is urging a 26°C cap and subsidized AC programs for vulnerable renters, but the city defers to provincial authority. Toronto, meanwhile, has mandated cooling in amenity spaces for larger apartment buildings and plans to debate a maximum heat bylaw in 2027. Hadya Ashraf of the Toronto Tenant Union, whose building lacks central air, welcomed Ontario’s new AC rights but said more action is needed.
