Landlords will need help if temperature law becomes reality, advocacy group says

As an Ottawa MPP puts forward a plan to require Ontario landlords to provide renters with air conditioning , one representative for local landlords says building owners will need support for expensive and time-consuming upgrades.

In early July, Catherine McKenney, the NDP's housing critic and representative for Ottawa Centre, said they plan to bring a motion to Queen's Park this fall that would cap apartment temperatures at 26 C.

"We are prepared to do our part," said John Dickie, chair of the Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization, a local advocacy group.

"But we also think that the responsibility for the safety of [low-income people] — and let's face it, it's low-income people who have this problem — that's a responsibility for society at large, for everyone, not just for the people