Residential Rental Housing
Due to COVID-19, our response times may be delayed.
Please Note: City Hall is closed to the public. Community members can continue to do business with the City online or over the phone. Please contact Licensing and Standards at 905-436-3311 extension 2299 for more information.
Background
Residential rental properties located in the vicinity of Durham College and Ontario Tech University must be licensed under the Licensing By-law (see Schedule ‘K’).
Licensed rental properties must comply with various standards and by-laws, including the Fire Code, Electrical Code, Building Code and the City's Zoning and Property Standards By-law(s). Refer to the links below for additional information, application forms and documents related to the Residential Rental Licensing Process.
Rental Licensing Applications
Applications can be submitted in person, by mail or by email to [email protected].
*Note - previous version of the application will not be accepted.
Fees
| Application Submission Fee |
| A non-refundable application submission fee of $75 is required for the initial examination of each submitted application to ensure all required documents are included. Incomplete applications will not be processed. To avoid unnecessary additional application fees, please refer to page 1 of the application package to ensure your application is complete before you submit to the Licensing and Standards counter, 1st Floor West Wing of City Hall, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa, ON, L1H 3Z7 |
| Licence Fee - Issue or Renew |
| A licence fee is required once your application is accepted. If you are applying for a rental licence for the 1st time on a property the fee is $500. If you are the holder of a current licence and are applying to renew your licence on that property the fees are $360 if submitted 60 days or more before the expiry of your current licence OR $500 if submitted less than 60 days before the expiry of your current licence. |
| Inspection fee |
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The initial inspection by Licensing & Standards and Fire Services inspectors, plus one reinspection is included in this licence fee. Note: additional inspections are $75. |
Important Licensing Information
| List of Currently Licensed R.R.H.L. Properties | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R.R.H.L. Demerit Point System | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On January 28, 2013, the City of Oshawa implemented a demerit point system (D.P.S.) for residential rental properties in the R.R.H.L. area to encourage compliance with the City's by-laws. Frequently asked questions are detailed below. R.R.H.L. Demerit Point System and Frequently Asked Questions
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| Residential Rental Licensing Area Maps | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zoning Terminology Explained
The following terms are used when determining if a licence application is in compliance with all applicable by-laws. Remember, the zoning within the rental area does not permit lodging houses.
| Dwelling Unit |
| "DWELLING UNIT" means a unit consisting of one or more rooms, which unit contains toilet and cooking facilities and which is designed for use as a single housekeeping establishment. |
| Lodger |
| "LODGER" means any person who pays rent, fees or other valuable consideration to a proprietor for living accommodation in which cooking or washroom facilities are shared with other persons |
| Lodging House |
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"LODGING HOUSE" means a building or a part of a building, containing three to ten lodging units, which does not appear to function as a dwelling unit, although one may be included with the lodging units. It includes, without limitation, a rooming house and a boarding house, a fraternity or sorority house. It does not include a hotel, a crisis care residence, a hospital, a group home, a correctional group home, a bed and breakfast establishment, a nursing home, a flat, an apartment building or a block townhouse. A lodging house may involve shared cooking or washroom facilities. Meals may or may not be provided to residents. Common areas, such as living rooms, may or may not be provided. (66-1998, 62-2000, 61-2010) |
| Lodging Unit |
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"LODGING UNIT" means one or more rooms within a lodging house used or designed to be used for sleeping accommodations. Lodging units may contain cooking or washroom facilities, but not both. (62-2000) |
| Single Housekeeping Establishment |
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"SINGLE HOUSEKEEPING ESTABLISHMENT" is not a defined term in the City's Zoning By-law or Licensing By-law, but it has been judicially considered. Following are excerpts from the Courts Analysis. "A single housekeeping establishment would generally approximate a typical family group of one or two adult persons, together with minor or adult children or a similar social unit either by relationship or some other common bond for living together as a housekeeping establishment, not simply the need by boarders for temporary sleeping quarters for which each pays rent to the landlord/landlady". "I find that a single housekeeping establishment, when read in context, means a use typical of a single family unit or other similar basic social unit. For example, it could include a group of unrelated persons, one or more of whom are dependent on the other due to physical or related challenges; or one person, or a couple cohabitating with children (not theirs biologically), to whom they stand in loco parentis. There are many examples of such basic social units in today's society which do not follow the traditional family model. However, they involve more between them as a unit than simply short-term temporary sleeping quarters and shared facilities on a rental basis." |
By-law and Legislation Information
| Licensing By-law |
| By-law 120-2005 (see Schedule "K") |
| Related By-laws and Legislation |
Other Resources
| General Information Handouts |
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Do you need more information about the Residential Rental Housing Licence process? You can pick up the following forms at the Licensing & Standards counter at City Hall or call 905-436-3311 ext. 2299 for more information.
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| Exemption, Denial and Appeal Information |
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Would you like to apply for an exemption to all, or part of the Residential Rental Housing Licence by-law or appeal a licence denial? You can pick up the following forms at the Licensing & Standards counter at City Hall or call 905-436-3311 ext. 2299 for more information. The relevant forms must be submitted within the given deadlines. |