Is Thorold Doing It Right with the Residential Rental Licensing By-law?
Whenever we see successes in the community, it shows us that a courageous decision was once made.
Take for example, the recent growth in Thorold that has stemmed from the influx of rental properties in our city. In managing Thorold’s population growth, coupled with hundreds of new houses, along with construction of apartments and renovations in the past few years, a courageous decision was made in 2018 by City Council to implement the Residential Rental Licensing By-law (RRLB). The by-law took effect on March 1, 2018.
“Residential Rental Licensing is a new tool implemented within the City of Thorold. Over the years, I have personally witnessed hundreds of rental units throughout Southern Ontario where tenants live in dilapidated and desolate living conditions. Many individuals feel that they are forced to live within these poor standards due to the low inventory of affordable housing,” stated Jason Simpson, Chief Building Official
The RRLB has been designed to be used in conjunction with other by-laws to support the health, safety, and well-being of persons residing in rental living accommodations and the protection of people and property in the city.
Jason states, “the by-law will improve the conditions of neighbourhoods by encouraging landlords to be accountable for their property and dwelling.”
“I enthusiastically support the Residential Rental Licensing By-law as I have already witnessed the benefits that it has provided to many tenants as well as the City as a whole,” attested Jason.
Key Points on RRLB Highlighted by City Hall staff
- Processing time of applications has been expedited
- Number of applications received continues to grow
- Living environments are improving for many tenants
- Staff continues to work on educating the public and improving the process
- Properties with licenses are published by the City of Thorold and Brock University for review by potential tenants and the public.
For those interested in RRLB statistics thus far, The City of Thorold will make information available in 2019. City of Thorold’s Communication Officer, Nicole Gioseffi states, the current RRLB process is being refined and modified to make it more efficient.
With the implementation of the RRLB, George Cottage and Ross Boncore responded to the needs of landlords in Thorold. Together the local rental property management experts made a courageous decision to create a new RRLB service for landlords. The service by Boncore Rental and Property Management helps landlords save time in dealing with the complicated process of applying and ultimately gaining a license to comply with the by-law.
“The Thorold licensing program improves the level of maintenance and fire safety in residential rentals.” opines George Cottage.
Pictured above, Boncore rental property consultant, George Cottage shows Thorold tenant Stephen an approved inspection report by City staff. After the City staff process the report, the rental property’s owner will receive a 2-year license.
The licensing service provided by Boncore helps landlords save time on complex licensing work while they focus on their personal priorities. After obtaining a license, Thorold landlords can also expect higher resale value on their real estate assets, while reducing potential legal liabilities. Once licensed, Thorold landlords can also mitigate the risk of financial penalties by complying with the by-law.
“We know that tenants and home owners have similar tendencies. Living in a property becomes home and little things go unnoticed over time. Smoke alarms make no sound unless something happens, so their maintenance is ignored. Carbon monoxide detectors are now mandatory but a lot of the public is not aware of it,” said Cottage who consults landlords on proper steps to obtain the Thorold rental license.
One such Thorold landlord is Rosa Ciocca who employed Boncore to manage the licensing for a 4-plex.
“I want to thank the team from Boncore for their assistance on the Residential Rental Licensing Program in Thorold. George and Stefan took care of my application with excellent service on every step of the process. Now that my property has been inspected and application approved by the city staff, I can enjoy peace of mind. They saved me lots of time on the complicated licensing work, and I feel good knowing my tenants are living safer in a property that is complying with the law,” stated landlord Rosa Ciocca.
Coming up to its first year in place, the RRLB has shown that it is not only about making the right decision. As the local initiative is being refined and modified, it is also about making the decision, and making it work right.
When it comes to rental and property management in Niagara, at least we can rest assured that Boncore has been doing it right for 35 years. For an initial consultation on the licensing by-law, landlords can contact George Cottage at 905-328-3141 or email