RentSafeTO building evaluations, explained
Toronto scores every large apartment building out of 100, and the scores are public. Look up any building free, and see what counts as a red flag.
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.
Just want the number? Search any address on the free Building report card — the score, its letter grade, and exactly which categories the building scored worst on. The rest of this post explains what you're looking at.
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.