Resources for Property Maintenance and Improvement of Tenant Housing

Discover tips and resources for maintaining your property and enhancing the quality of your tenants' housing.

Maintenance Planning

Determining the amount of maintenance individual building components need is the goal of maintenance planning. Here are some common categories for you to consider:

Regular maintenance – All building components can last longer if you have a preventative maintenance plan in place.
Safety of your tenants – Make sure that your property and building is free of hazards. Take care of any problems right away.
Regular inspections – Spot small problems and take care of them before they become big and expensive.

Regular unit inspections – Plan for future repairs and take care of any immediate repairs that are needed without delay.

Common Issues

Bed bugs

Bed bug infestation is a major problem for tenants and operators. Health and mental well-being can be seriously affected by prolonged exposure to bed bugs and other insects, such as cockroaches and mites. Low-barrier and hard-to-house facilities are more vulnerable to infestation.

Bed bugs can be difficult to eradicate once they appear. View the Bed Bug Information for Emergency Shelters fact sheet for general advice for managing a bed bug infestation.

Bed bug treatment options

There are a variety of different methods to eradicate bed bugs, including:

Chemical sprays
Steam
Cold treatment
Heat treatment (including both portable and heat treatment rooms)
Diatomaceous earth

Talk to a local pest control provider to determine the best methods for each situation.

Mould management

Mould is a fact of life. Moulds will grow practically everywhere people live and work. Mould is recognized as an occupational hazard for indoor workers as well as outdoor workers who work in warm and humid environments. All moulds are not harmful. However, certain types of moulds can cause adverse health effects.

You can read more information on mould management in Chapter 6.3 of the Housing Provider Guide for a Contractor Safety Program.

Our Mould Management Guide - Brochure is a helpful resource that provides tips on cleaning mould from many areas of the home.

Learn more about:

How to find out if you have mould in your home
How to report leaks and mould in your home
How to prevent mould from occurring
What to do if you suspect or have mould
How to clean up small areas of mould

Maintenance resource table - common maintenance components

The following table highlights some of the common components that need maintenance in today’s more complex buildings.

Building System	Action	Frequency
Building controls	Review any programmed controls or time clocks to ensure they’re working properly	Monthly
Common cleaning products	Consider using only environmentally friendly cleaning products \| Green Seal labels	Always
Domestic hot water	Inspect system components Drain and descale tank Reduce water heater set point temperature	Annually
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)	Clean coils Change filters Oil motors Check heat exchangers for water leaks and corrosion Check for excessive heat due to pump overuse or strain Check for soot or corrosion (signs of incomplete combustion or poor venting of combustion gases)	Quarterly
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)	Arrange professional inspection Lubricate pumps Clean ducts Locate and seal duct leaks	Annually
Laundry	Check and clean dryer exhaust ductwork	Semi-annually
Laundry	Check and clean dryer filter	Daily
Lighting	Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs (or LEDs as they become more readily available) Consider installing occupancy and/or daylight sensors When changing lamps, inspect ballasts and clean fixtures Learn and use the correct disposal and safe handling instructions for CFLs	As-needed
Plug loads	Use power bars to switch common space electrical equipment off when unneeded (avoid phantom power charges)	Always
Renewable energy	Wash off solar panels with warm, soapy water and a soft brush	Quarterly
Replacement product selection	Ensure replacement appliances are Energy Star labelled (refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, bathroom ventilation fans) Ensure replacement carpet is low volatile organic compound (VOC) and meets CRI Green Label testing Ensure interior paint and coatings are low VOC and meet the Green Seal GC_11 Standard and minimum VOC limits in accordance with LEED® Canada Install aerated low-flow bathroom fixtures, including bath faucets (max. 5.7 LPM/1.5 GPM) and kitchen faucets and showerheads (max. 7.6 LPM/2.0 GPM) in accordance with LEED® Canada and WaterSense Install low-flush or dual-flush toilets that comply with the latest edition Maximum Performance (MaP) testing rated at 1,000 gram of waste per flush	As-needed
Water	Check for leaks (toilets, faucets, tanks, etc.) Install faucet aerators in bathroom and kitchen faucets and showerheads (see max flow rates in Replacement Product Selection above) Remove and clean the wire screens or aerators of sediment and buildup	As-needed