Yellow or red RentSafeTO sign? What to do before you pay for a re-evaluation

If your building has a yellow or red RentSafeTO sign, a re-evaluation is the fastest way to a better one. But it is not risk-free, and the timing this year matters. ARMS is not affiliated with the City of Toronto; the details below come from the City's RentSafeTO pages.

What changed in 2026

Since June 15, 2026, every building in the program must display a green, yellow or red sign near its main entrance, based on its most recent score. Green is 85 to 100%, yellow 70 to 84% and red 69% or lower. When the colour changes, the new sign must go up within 14 days. As of September 22, 2026, 624 buildings scored yellow or red in the City's open data, 37 of them red. You can look up any building's score.

The risk in a re-evaluation

Re-evaluations can now be requested at any time of year, and they can reflect the improvements you have made. But the fee is non-refundable, and a re-evaluation can produce a lower score that cannot be reverted. Paying for one before the building is ready can leave you worse off.

The November 20 deadline

Buildings evaluated in 2026 have until November 20 to request and pay for a re-evaluation, so that scores are finalised by December 15. Scores completed by then are the ones used to decide which buildings in this year's group are audited, and the lowest-scoring buildings are prioritised for audit.

Check first, then request

1. Walk the building against the evaluation categories, the way an evaluator would.
2. Fix what is cheap and fast first: lighting, self-closing doors, garbage rooms, intercoms and cleanliness.
3. Photograph every fix, before and after.
4. Estimate your score honestly. Request the re-evaluation only when the building is ready.

Keep it there

The same conditions that lost points will slip again without a routine. A weekly self-audit, with verified rounds by cleaners and supers, keeps a green sign green.

This article is general information, not legal advice.

RentSafeTO readiness