Is Air Conditioning Mandatory in Ontario? The Real Cooling Rules
No province-wide law forces a landlord to provide AC, and there is no provincial 26°C rule. But Toronto and Mississauga do cap units at 26°C where cooling is already provided — and a stalled bill keeps confusing everyone. Here is what is actually in force in 2026.
Bottom line
- There is no province-wide law requiring a landlord to provide or install air conditioning, and no provincial maximum-temperature rule.
- The 26°C cap is municipal: Toronto (June 1–Sept 30) and Mississauga apply it only where cooling is already provided.
- The only province-wide temperature law is for heat: at least 20°C from September 1 to June 15.
- “Bill 64” — the provincial 26°C bill people cite — is a proposed bill that is not law.
Is air conditioning mandatory in Ontario?
Short answer: no.Nothing in Ontario law requires a landlord to install or provide air conditioning in a rental unit. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, the “vital services” a landlord must supply are heat, hot and cold water, fuel, electricity, and gas — cooling is not on that list.
That said, “not mandatory to install” is not the same as “do whatever you want.” Two things constrain landlords who do provide cooling:
- Municipal maximum-temperature bylaws. In Toronto and Mississauga, if cooling is provided, it has to keep the unit at or below 26°C in summer (details below).
- You can’t quietly take it away.If a unit came with air conditioning as part of the tenancy, discontinuing it can trigger a tenant’s rent-reduction application under RTA s. 130 (discontinuance of a service or facility).
The “Bill 64” confusion — what it actually is
A lot of landlords have heard that “Bill 64” created a provincial 26°C cooling rule. It did not. Bill 64 is a Private Member’s Bill that received First Reading on October 28, 2025 and has not passed — no second reading, no royal assent, not in force.
Don’t comply with a law that doesn’t exist
If Bill 64 ever passes, it would require 26°C or less only in common areas (lobbies, indoor event spaces, exercise rooms) from May 15 to September 15 — notinside units. As of June 2026 it is just a proposal. The 26°C rules that actually bind you today are municipal, and they work differently. You can track the bill’s status on the Legislative Assembly site.
Maximum-temperature (cooling) rules by city
Because there is no provincial standard, the 26°C maximum is set city by city — and only a couple of municipalities have one in force.
| City | Rule | Applies | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | ≤ 26°C, June 1 – Sept 30 | Where cooling is already provided; plus an amenity-space rule for RentSafeTO buildings | In force (Ch. 497, June 1, 2026) |
| Mississauga | ≤ 26°C | Only where the unit has an air conditioning system | In force (By-law 0110-2018) |
| Hamilton | Proposed 26°C rule | Under public consultation — not yet a maximum-temperature mandate | Proposed only |
| Ottawa | No maximum-temperature rule | Heat by-law only; no cooling obligation | None |
| Most other municipalities | No maximum-temperature rule | No provincial backstop exists | None |
Toronto: 26°C where cooling is provided (June 1 – Sept 30)
Toronto rewrote its old Heating Bylaw into a new “Indoor Temperature Standards” bylaw (Municipal Code Chapter 497), in force June 1, 2026. On cooling, it says: if a cooling system is installed, the owner must operate it from June 1 to September 30 to maintain an indoor temperature of no more than 26°C. The City is explicit that owners are not required to install air conditioning where it does not already exist.
New for 2026: the amenity-space rule
Apartment buildings in the RentSafeTO program that do not provide cooling in units but have an indoor amenity space must keep at least one such space at or below 26°C from June 1 to September 30 (a shared recreation/social area — not hallways, lobbies, or laundry rooms). An exemption applies where compliance would require construction under the Building Code. Source: City of Toronto.
Mississauga: 26°C where AC exists (in force since 2018)
Mississauga’s Adequate Temperature By-law (0110-2018) defines “adequate and suitable cooling” as an indoor temperature that does not exceed 26°C — but the cooling duty applies only where the unit is equipped with an air conditioning system. As in Toronto, there is no requirement to install AC that was never there.
Hamilton, Ottawa, and the rest
Hamilton has a maximum-temperature bylaw in development (public consultation closed in early 2026) — it is not in force yet, though the city did amend its property standards in 2025 to require existing cooling equipment be kept in good repair. Ottawa has no cooling/maximum-temperature obligation at all. Most Ontario municipalities have nothing on the books for summer heat.
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New for July 1, 2026: tenants’ right to install their own AC
Even where a landlord doesn’t provide cooling, the rules are shifting toward tenants. A new Residential Tenancies Act provision — s. 36.1, added by Bill 97 (2023) — is scheduled to come into force July 1, 2026. It is set to give tenants the right to install a window or portable air conditioner in a unit where the landlord does not supply cooling, subject to conditions (written notice, safe and proper installation, and prescribed exceptions), with the landlord able to charge for actual electricity use in some situations.
Confirm before you rely on it.Bill 97’s sections have been proclaimed on a staggered schedule. Check the current in-force status and the exact conditions/regulations for s. 36.1 before accepting or refusing a tenant’s AC installation.
The flip side: heat is the rule Ontario actually mandates
While cooling is mostly unregulated, heat is a province-wide obligation. Under O. Reg. 516/06, heat is a vital service from September 1 to June 15, and the unit must be kept at at least 20°C. Municipalities can require more: Toronto’s standard is 21°C from October 1 to May 15. For the minimum-temperature rules and heating-season dates by city, see our landlord heating requirements guide.
What landlords should actually do
Know your city, not "Bill 64"
Your obligations come from your municipal bylaw, not a stalled provincial bill. If you rent in Toronto or Mississauga and provide cooling, plan to hold 26°C through the summer.
If you provide AC, keep it running and maintained
A provided cooling system must be operated to the 26°C standard (Toronto: June 1–Sept 30). Don’t shut it off to save money — and don’t remove it, which can trigger an RTA s. 130 rent reduction.
You don’t have to install AC — but prepare for tenant units
There’s no duty to install cooling. But once s. 36.1 is in force, expect more tenant-installed window/portable units; set clear, safe-installation expectations.
Don’t forget the heat obligation
The enforceable temperature rule most of the year is heat: 20°C provincially (Sept 1–June 15), 21°C in Toronto (Oct 1–May 15). That’s where bylaw complaints and T6 abatements actually land.
Disclaimer:This guide summarizes provincial and municipal rules that change and is not legal advice. Figures and dates reflect the cities’ published bylaws as of June 2026. Always confirm the current bylaw and in-force status with your municipality and at Ontario’s e-Laws before relying on them.
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