Advocates for renters in British Columbia say itB次元官网网址檚 time to consider setting a maximum temperature for rental housing to protect vulnerable tenants from dangerous heat.
The call comes as a heat wave blankets much of the province, raising memories of the deadly 2021 heat dome event. It isnB次元官网网址檛 expected to get as hot this week, but the advocates say municipalities need to ensure that tenants donB次元官网网址檛 face deadly risks of overheating in their homes.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says the city has nearly finished a study on indoor heat that could lead to changes to the cityB次元官网网址檚 building code or bylaws.
While B.C. municipalities set bylaws mandating the minimum temperatures rental units must be able to maintain, there are no similar rules for how hot a home is allowed to get.
Emily Rogers, director of operations for VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Together Against Poverty Society, says amending property bylaws to include a maximum temperature B次元官网网址渟eems like a very reasonable step.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think in a time of climate crisis, and increasing extreme heat, itB次元官网网址檚 very reasonable to be thinking about maximum temperatures and ensuring that tenants arenB次元官网网址檛 susceptible to heat-related injury and potentially death,B次元官网网址� she said.
During the summer 2021 heat dome, more than 600 people died as result of extreme temperatures that surpassed 40 C in parts of the province. A review by the BC Coroners Service found most were elderly and vulnerable people in buildings without air conditioning.
Temperatures in the mid-to-high 30s are expected for most of the coming week, leading provincial officials to warn again about the dangers of soaring temperatures.
The province has said a repeat of the heat dome is not in the forecast but has warned people to take precautions to stay out of the heat, drink water and limit activity.
Lasse Hvitved, a legal advocate with the Tenant Resource and Advocacy Centre, said under the provinceB次元官网网址檚 Residential Tenancy Act itB次元官网网址檚 the landlordB次元官网网址檚 responsibility to provide adequate heating and itB次元官网网址檚 up to municipalities to define what those requirements are.
In Vancouver, Richmond and Surrey, bylaws say heating systems need to be capable of maintaining every room at a temperature of 22 C, while in Victoria, the minimum is 21 C.
Hvitved believes if the act were written today, similar rules around maximum temperatures would have been included.
B次元官网网址淭he only reason itB次元官网网址檚 not included is because at the time when it was last rewritten, this sort of heat dome and heat waves werenB次元官网网址檛 at the forefront of our minds,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the landlordB次元官网网址檚 responsibility for heating. ItB次元官网网址檚 the landlordB次元官网网址檚 responsibility for mould. ItB次元官网网址檚 the landlord responsibility that you have water. ItB次元官网网址檚 the landlordB次元官网网址檚 responsibility that the place lives up to health and safety standards.
B次元官网网址淪o it sort of seems like an abnormality that for some reason tenants are responsible for providing their own cooling.B次元官网网址�
Vancouver Mayor Sim said in a statement that the city has been conducting B次元官网网址渁 multi-year indoor heat temperature surveyB次元官网网址� set to wrap up at the end of the summer.
B次元官网网址淭he data collected will be used to explore ways to achieve cooler indoor temperatures and prevent heat-related illness or death,B次元官网网址� Sim said.
B次元官网网址淭his could include a variety of measures, such as potential changes to the cityB次元官网网址檚 building code or bylaws among others.B次元官网网址�
Hvitved said some flexibility for landlords could be considered, with different rules for buildings with seniors or other vulnerable populations. He added that if cooling became a landlordB次元官网网址檚 responsibility, more efficient systems could be set up.
He said heB次元官网网址檚 heard from renters whose homes have reached as high as 36 degrees inside and who face barriers in getting air conditioning because of their landlords.
Last week, Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma recommended that people consider keeping a digital thermometer to measure indoor temperatures, noting that indoor temperatures of 31 degrees or higher can be dangerous, especially for people who are more vulnerable to heat.
The province announced in June that it was launching a $10-million fund to purchase and install up to 8,000 air conditioners for low-income and vulnerable people. But advocates have expressed worry that requiring a landlordB次元官网网址檚 consent to obtain the free air conditioners is putting up an unnecessary barrier for tenants.
Rogers said it would be helpful if the provincial residential tenancy branch convened experts to provide tenants and landlords with guidance on whatB次元官网网址檚 reasonable.
B次元官网网址淏ottom line, tenants need to have a safe place to live and being protected from extreme heat is part of that. We know that renters are more likely to be people with disabilities. We know renters are more likely to be seniors on fixed income. We know that renters are more likely to not have access to outdoor spaces or sometimes not even have balconies,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淪o for all of these folks, the more medically vulnerable you are, the more susceptible you are to extreme heat, and itB次元官网网址檚 incredibly important that people have access to a safe place to be during times of emergencies.B次元官网网址�
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