What is an “illegal” rooming house?
A rooming house is considered illegal if it contravenes city bylaws. In the former City of Toronto, rooming houses are required to obtain a license from City Hall to operate. Any rooming house that does not have a license can be considered “illegal.” Rooming houses may also be “illegal” because their owners did not obtain a permit to make renovations to divide up the building, because they do not have sufficient parking for tenants, or because one or more rooms are below a certain minimum size. Rooming houses are also “illegal” if they are located in one of the former municipalities that prohibited them in its bylaws.
