RentSafeTO building scores, explained
Toronto evaluates apartment buildings and gives each a score out of 100. Here's what the score measures, what the categories mean, and how to use it before you sign a lease.
If you're renting an apartment in a building with 3+ storeys or 10+ units, the City has probably evaluated it under RentSafeTO — its apartment-building standards program. Every evaluated building gets a score out of 100, and it's public.
What the score measures
Inspectors rate the building on common-area and maintenance categories — things a tenant actually experiences:
- Lobby, hallways, stairwells, and their lighting
- Elevators (cosmetics and maintenance)
- Security: intercoms, exterior doors, mail
- Pest control and cleanliness
- Garbage, laundry, parking, and exterior grounds
- Whether the building has the required plans on file (electrical safety, vital services)
Each category is scored 0–3. The overall score rolls those up into a number out of 100, which we translate to a letter grade: A (90+), B (80+), C (70+), down to F.
How to actually use it
- A high score means well-kept common areas and faster repairs — but it's a building score, not a verdict on a specific unit.
- A low score is worth taking seriously. Look at which categories scored low: a building that's weak on pest control or elevator maintenance tells you something specific.
- Not a RentSafeTO building? Houses, condos, and small rentals aren't in the program — that's normal, not a red flag.
What it doesn't cover
RentSafeTO is about the building's common areas and management, not your individual unit, your rent, or your landlord's history with a specific tenant. Use it as one input, then ask to see the actual unit.
Look up a building
Search any apartment's address on the Building report card to see its score, its strongest and weakest categories, and — if you typed a house or condo — the rated apartment buildings nearby. You can also search every criterion to find the specific thing you care about.