Renting an apartment in Mississauga? You can now rent with greater confidence knowing your apartment and building will be properly maintained as a result of the new Mississauga Apartment Rental Compliance (MARC) pilot program. 

The goal of the five-year pilot program is to ensure that rental apartment building owners and landlords comply with maintenance standards and the needs of tenants are being addressed.

The MARC pilot program features:

·     a requirement for building owners and landlords to register each year for the program

·     proactive apartment building inspections conducted by a dedicated team of Enforcement staff

·     a streamlined complaints process for tenants

·     potential fines for owners and landlords who fail to comply

“As Ontario grapples with a housing affordability crisis, it is critical that our City’s rental stock is well-maintained, safe and liveable,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “Mississauga’s competitive advantage has always been our quality of life. By working together, we will ensure rental buildings are maintained and repairs addressed in a timely manner so that people can rent with confidence in Mississauga.”

Owners and landlords must register with the program if their rental building has two or more storeys and six or more residential units that share a common area. Condominiums, secondary units, long-term care homes, licensed retirement homes and housing cooperatives are out of the program’s scope.

The annual registration fee for 2022 is $18.25 per rental unit. Enforcement staff are currently contacting owners and landlords to advise of their responsibility to register. Failure to register an apartment building is an offence under the by-law which upon conviction, carries a maximum fine of $100,000.

“The City is strengthening its response,” said Michael Foley, Acting Director, Enforcement. “We are moving from a complaints-based process to conducting proactive building inspections. This could result in stepped-up enforcement that includes issuing charges and/or fines. We continue to encourage anyone who has told their landlord about a repair issue but the problem has not been fixed to submit a complaint for action by the City’s Enforcement Division. The goal is to make tenants feel comfortable bringing issues forward, knowing they will be resolved to their satisfaction.” 

Residents who have reported a repair or maintenance issue to their landlord with no response or action taken are encouraged to submit a request here or call 3-1-1.

To learn more, visit mississauga.ca/MARC.

As we welcome spring, the City has a number of virtual community engagement sessions coming up on key projects that are building our city.

Have your say Mississauga! We want to hear your ideas and opinions on the projects that are transforming Mississauga. Here are the upcoming engagement sessions for April and May where you can provide input and gain a greater understanding of how we are planning and shaping our City’s future.

·      School Streets Pilot Project

April 12 at 6:30 p.m. and April 25 at 7 p.m. – virtual meetings

The City will launch its first School Streets pilot project at three schools: Hillside Public School (Ward 2), St. Alfred Separate School (Ward 3) and Brian W. Fleming Public School (Ward 3). A School Street creates a temporary car-free environment in front of a school during pick-up and/or drop-off times. This reduces traffic congestion and encourages students and their families to walk or roll to school. 

Two online community meetings are available for residents in Wards 2 and 3 to get more details about the pilot. Anyone who is curious about the School Streets concept is also invited to attend. All participants can ask questions and share their feedback as planning for the pilot continues. Residents can also share their feedback using an online survey.

·      Off-street Parking Recommendations

April 19 at 6 p.m. (Off-street Parking) and May 9 at 1:30 p.m. (Bicycle Parking only) – In person and virtual

The City is updating its off-street parking regulations under the Zoning By-law to support local business, help deliver affordable housing, respond to climate change and enhance travel, transit and walkability.

Off-street parking regulations refer to the amount of vehicle and/or bicycle parking required on private and public properties because of new development, redevelopment, building expansion or a land use change. Changes would not affect existing buildings or homes.

A public meeting for off-street parking is being held on April 19 at Planning and Development Committee  (PDC) to consider changes to the Zoning By-law relating to off-street parking as part of the City’s Parking Regulations Study.This includes proposed changes to the City’s parking regulations for private and public properties as a result of new development or redevelopment.

A public meeting for bicycle parking is being held on May 9 at Planning and Development Committee  (PDC) to introduce bicycle parking rates and regulations in the Zoning By-law as part of the Parking Regulations Study. Thisincludes amendments to the City’s Zoning By-law regarding bicycle parking requirements for private and public properties, as a result of new development or redevelopment.

·      Aerial Spray

April 20 at 6 p.m. – virtual meeting

The City is conducting an aerial spray this spring and will be hosting a virtual meeting to address resident questions or concerns. The spray will target and manage Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD), formerly known as “gypsy moth,” in affected city neighbourhoods. The timing of the spray is dependent on weather conditions, the emergence of the LDD caterpillars and the leaf development on trees. 

Register online at mississauga.ca/2022spray.

·      Increasing Housing Choices in Neighbourhoods

April 20 to May 20 – online engagement

The City’s Increasing Housing Choices in Neighbourhoods Study is exploring ways to introduce a variety of housing options in Mississauga. Housing affordability is a major issue in Mississauga and the wider GTA.

The project team is looking for specific feedback on concept designs for five different housing types: garage conversions, duplexes, triplexes, multiplexes and garden suites. As part of this on-demand, online consultation, residents can watch a presentation video to learn more about each housing type. The video includes design concepts and floors plans. After watching the video, residents can participate in a survey to provide their feedback.

·      Major Transit Station Areas

April 26 at 6:30 p.m. – virtual meeting

Major Transit Station Areas (MTSA) are mixed-use, transit-supportive neighbourhoods that will provide easy access to local amenities, jobs, housing and recreation opportunities. MTSAs generally include lands within a 500-800 metre radius (a 10-minute walk) of a higher order transit station or stop. They are located primarily along existing or planned transit corridors (e.g., GO Train, Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit). The City of Mississauga is developing its own detailed MTSA policies to align with Regional and Provincial requirements. 

This virtual information session will present the proposed city-wide MTSA policies and explain how they will align with the Region of Peel and other related City projects.

Register for the virtual information session here.

·       Complete Streets Guide

Provide online feedback by May 1

The City has developed a draft Complete Streets Guide and is now looking for resident feedback.

The guide provides a comprehensive approach to building safer, more complete streets in Mississauga for all ages, abilities and modes of travel. It will help ensure that all road users are accommodated and feel comfortable and safe sharing Mississauga streets whether they’re walking, cycling, commuting or driving. It will also help the City prioritize safer, slower speeds for all road users in a way that enhances quality of life while improving how a street functions.

Take the survey here.