Have Your Say
From September 22 to October 3, 2025, residents and stakeholders can complete a survey to share their views on regulating lodging houses.
Complete Survey
The City of Brampton is reviewing its lodging house policies and regulations to develop stronger, clearer, and more enforceable standards that improve safety, accountability, and neighbourhood quality. This work is intended to ensure lodging houses are only permitted where appropriate, while helping preserve affordable housing options for residents.
Project Update: The review is building on past research, jurisdictional scans, and Council workshops, and is now focused on assessing current policies, the housing landscape, and local challenges. Internal consultation will occur in Fall 2025, followed by public engagement on future policy options. Final options and recommendations are targeted for a statutory public meeting in Winter 2025.
Key Facts
- Lodging houses are a longstanding form of naturally occurring affordable housing in Brampton.
- The City currently licenses lodging houses, but gaps in the framework make regulation and enforcement difficult.
- Not every house can be used as a lodging house. Buildings must meet Ontario Building Code and Fire Code requirements and obtain a change of use permit, which often means significant upgrades before the use can be permitted.
- Modernizing policies will help bring more unregulated operations under oversight, protect affordable housing for residents, and reduce neighbourhood impacts.
- The intent of this review is not to add more units, but to establish clearer, stronger standards that improve accountability for safety, property maintenance, and neighbourhood quality.
- Residents will have the opportunity to participate in the engagement process in Fall 2025 before Council considers any recommendations.
Myths vs. Facts
Fact: Not all properties are able to operate as a lodging house.
Buildings must first meet Ontario Building Code and Fire Code requirements, which require a change of use permit to first be issued by the City and often require significant structural upgrades before the use can be permitted.
Fact: A lodging house is generally defined as a dwelling where more than four separate tenants rent separate rooms, like a hotel, and only share common facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. A group of tenants living together as a group (e.g. students, friends) is not a lodging house. These units may still require a license to operate if located in one of the Residential Rental License (RRL) pilot wards.
Fact: Safety issues arise mainly in unregulated units. A comprehensive regulatory framework improves accountability and safety by making operators accountable. Where licensed, lodging houses are inspected annually to ensure dwellings are safe and comply with fire code, building code, public health, property and occupancy standards.
Fact: Lodging houses support a wide range of residents including seniors, newcomers, single workers, and people in transition. For many, they are the only affordable and flexible housing option available.
