Residential rental unit licences

• Initial application - $165 
• Fire inspection - $171
• Annual renewal -  $55

If the property is a duplex, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) may have additional fees. This is done in partnership with the Fire Prevention Office. We accept cash, MasterCard, Visa, cheque, money order, or debit.

• Fines for not having a licence: Any rental property owner who contravenes any provision of by-law CP-19 is subject to a fine upon conviction.  The maximum fine for a person upon first conviction is $25,000 and for a corporation is $50,000. The maximum fines for subsequent convictions are double the maximum initial conviction.
• New rental licence applications will be required to have a property standards inspection.
• Inspections are not conducted for renewal applications.
• The renewed licence will be mailed to the applicant upon approval.
• A licence is valid for one (1) year from the date of approval.
• The licence must be posted near the front entrance.
• The residential unit licence will be mailed to you upon approval. This Licence is valid for one year from the date of approval.
• Post the licence inside the rental unit(s) near the front entrance(s).
• A new licence is required if the property changes ownership.

• For any building containing four or fewer rental units
• For any building containing five or more units but is classified as a converted dwelling
• If the registered property owner does not occupy the property and has no intentions of occupying the property 
• If there are multiple units (even if the registered owner occupies one of the units)
• For a group home not registered or licenced with the federal or provincial government

• A rental unit in an apartment building, a stacked townhouse, or a townhouse

A rental unit that meets the following conditions: 

• The rental unit constitutes the principle residence of the registered owner
• The rental unit is temporarily rented by the registered owner for a period of time no greater than 12 consecutive months in any 24 month period
• The rental unit was occupied by the registered owner immediately prior to its rental
• The registered owner of the rental unit is temporarily living outside the municipality
• The registered owner intends to reoccupy the rental unit upon termination of the temporary rental
• If the registered property owner occupies the property and rents to no more than three tenants at one time
• If the registered property owner occupies the property and rents to more than three tenants at one time, however, a Zoning By-law Amendment and/or Lodging House Business Licence may be required
• For a group home registered or licenced with the federal or provincial government

Property standards and fire are mandatory inspection for all new residential rental unit licences. These inspections are to ensure the rental unit is in compliance with all applicable laws to maintain safety for the tenants.

Airbnb units must comply with all RRUL by-law regulations.

There are two types of group homes:

• Type 1 - means a residence licenced, supervised, approved, or funded under deferral or provincial statute for the accommodation of three to eight persons, excluding staff, living under responsible supervision in a single housekeeping unit for those living with disabilities and youth on probation. Group home type 1 are permitted in most low/medium density residential zones.
• Type 2 - means a residence for the accommodation of up to eight persons, excluding staff, that is maintained and operated primarily for: persons who have been placed on probation or released on parole under provincial or federal statute; or youth who have been charged under provincial or federal statute and who have been placed in detention or custody. Group home type 2 are permitted in zones which permit the use.

The zoning by-law amendment (Z.-1-172595) allows home owners to convert their single family homes into two (2) units. However, the home owner must comply with the regulations set out in the Zoning by-law Z.-1, Section 4 - General Provisions, Subsection 4.37 - Secondary Dwelling Units.

Zoning by-law Z.-1, Section 4 - General Provisions o    A building permit is required to add an additional dwelling unit to any building. o    A new rental licence will need to be applied for and all inspections will need to occur before issuance. o    An active residential rental licence will need to be amended once the building permit has been issued in full.

For zoning information contact Zoning at 519-930-3510

For building permit information contact the Building Division at 519-661-4555

• Single family dwellings within the City of London are permitted to have five (5) bedrooms total. If there are more than five (5) bedrooms, contact Zoning at 519-930-3510 to determine steps required to legalize the additional bedrooms.
• Multi-unit buildings are permitted to have five (5) bedrooms per unit, however, the number of bedrooms is restricted to three (3) per unit if the property is located within the Near Campus Neighbourhood (NCN), review the City of London CityMap to see the boundaries of the Near Campus Neighbourhood.
• For more information, search "dwelling" in section 2 - Definitions of the zoning by-law Z.-1.

• The property standards by-law CP-16, subsection 4.8.7 - Occupancy - Maximum, regulates the number of residents in a dwelling unit to one (1) person per 9.3 m² (100ft²) of habitable floor area.

A fire inspection is required at the time of each new application. If a fire inspection report dated within the last two years is available, we will waive this inspection requirement. A fire inspection is not required upon licence renewal.

• At the time an application is submitted, a self-certification checklist is completed for each unit. (A reminder that a copy of the checklist should be given to the tenant who is renting that unit). Any items of concern that are raised on this checklist may result in a property standards inspection.
• If a property standards inspection is not done at the time an application is submitted, a random exterior property standards inspection will be carried out within 2 to 3 years of the licence being issued. If a tenant wishes to have an interior property standards inspection done, they are to first put their items of concern in writing to their landlord. The landlord then has two weeks to rectify the issue. If nothing is done, the tenant may submit a copy of this letter to our office and if the item falls under the Property Standards by-law, a complaint will be entered on the tenant's behalf.