Residential rental unit licences

To apply for a residential rental unit licence, email licensing@london.ca and include the following details:

1. A completed licence application form

   Residential Unit License application form

2. A floor plan that identifies the location of all rooms, windows, and entrances/exits

   Residential Rental Unit floor plan guide

3. A self-certification checklist for each unit 

   Residential Rental Unit license self-certification checklist

Licence renewals

Please submit a completed application form. 

Note: Online application submission is not yet available. Incomplete packages will not be processed. All required documents and payment(s) are required to be submitted as one package.

Zoning by-law compliance: Prior to a new rental licence application being accepted by our office, a Zoning Officer will review your application to ensure it complies with the Zoning By-law. If it does not, the Zoning Officer will provide you with information and method(s) you can take to bring your property into compliance with the By-laws. If the application was mailed in, the application and cheque will be mailed back to you with further instructions.

Sometimes you may be required to get a building permit, go through a Minor Variance or Zoning By-law Amendment, or in some cases remove units altogether. Contact Zoning at 519-930-3510 or building@london.ca for more information.

Fees

• Initial application - $175
• Fire inspection - $171
• Annual renewal - $65

If the property is a duplex, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) may have additional fees. This is done in partnership with the Fire Prevention Office.
We accept cash, MasterCard, Visa, cheque, money order, or debit.

Additional Information

• Fines for not having a licence: Any rental property owner who contravenes any provision of By-law CP-19 is subject to a fine upon conviction.  The maximum fine for a person upon first conviction is $25,000 and for a corporation is $50,000. The maximum fines for subsequent convictions are double the maximum initial conviction.
• New rental licence applications will be required to have a property standards inspection.
• Inspections are not conducted for renewal applications.
• The renewed licence will be mailed to the applicant upon approval.
• A licence is valid for one (1) year from the date of approval.
• The licence must be posted near the front entrance.
• The residential unit licence will be mailed to you upon approval. This licence is valid for one year from the date of approval.
• Post the licence inside the rental unit(s) near the front entrance(s).
• A new licence is required if the property changes ownership.

• For any building containing four or fewer rental units
• For any building containing five or more units but is classified as a converted dwelling
• If the registered property owner does not occupy the property and has no intentions of occupying the property
• If there are multiple units (even if the registered owner occupies one of the units)
• For a group home not registered or licenced with the federal or provincial government

• A rental unit in an apartment building, a stacked townhouse, or a townhouse

A rental unit that meets the following conditions: 

• The rental unit constitutes the principle residence of the registered owner
• The rental unit is temporarily rented by the registered owner for a period of time no greater than 12 consecutive months in any 24 month period
• The rental unit was occupied by the registered owner immediately prior to its rental
• The registered owner of the rental unit is temporarily living outside the municipality
• The registered owner intends to reoccupy the rental unit upon termination of the temporary rental
• If the registered property owner occupies the property and rents to no more than three tenants at one time
• If the registered property owner occupies the property and rents to more than three tenants at one time, however, a Zoning By-law Amendment and/or Lodging House Business Licence may be required
• For a group home registered or licenced with the federal or provincial government

Property standards and fire are mandatory inspection for all new residential rental unit licences. These inspections are to ensure the rental unit is in compliance with all applicable laws to maintain safety for the tenants. After your application has been approved by our Zoning staff, a Customer Service Representative will contact you to provide information on how to book the inspections.

The zoning by-law amendment (Z.-1-172595) allows home owners to convert their single family homes into two (2) units. However, the home owner must comply with the regulations set out in the Zoning by-law Z.-1, Section 4 - General Provisions, Subsection 4.37 - Secondary Dwelling Units.

Zoning by-law Z.-1, Section 4 - General Provisions

• A building permit is required to add an additional dwelling unit to any building.
• A new rental licence will need to be applied for and all inspections will need to occur before issuance.
• An active residential rental licence will need to be amended once the building permit has been issued in full.

For zoning information contact Zoning at 519-930-3510

For building permit information contact the Building Division at 519-661-4555.

• Single family dwellings within London are permitted to have five (5) bedrooms total. If there are more than five (5) bedrooms, contact Zoning at 519-930-3510 to determine steps required to legalize the additional bedrooms.
• Multi-unit buildings are permitted to have five (5) bedrooms per unit, however, the number of bedrooms is restricted to three (3) per unit if the property is located within the Near Campus Neighbourhood (NCN), review CityMap to see the boundaries.
• For more information, search "dwelling" in Section 2 - Definitions of the Zoning by-law Z.-1.

The property standards by-law CP-16, subsection 4.8.7 - Occupancy - Maximum, regulates the number of residents in a dwelling unit to one (1) person per 9.3 m² (100ft²) of habitable floor area.

Short-term Accommodations (STAs), are residential rentals of less than 30 days at a time.  Short-term rentals are regulated by the Business Licensing By-law and require a business licence.  There may be instances where a rental property requires both a Residential Rental Unit Licence (RRUL) AND a Short-term Accommodation (STA) Licence.  More information can be found on the Short-term Accommodation web page.

There are two types of group homes:

• Type 1 - means a residence licenced, supervised, approved, or funded under deferral or provincial statute for the accommodation of three to eight persons, excluding staff, living under responsible supervision in a single housekeeping unit for those living with disabilities and youth on probation. Group home type 1 are permitted in most low/medium density residential zones.
• Type 2 - means a residence for the accommodation of up to eight persons, excluding staff, that is maintained and operated primarily for: persons who have been placed on probation or released on parole under provincial or federal statute; or youth who have been charged under provincial or federal statute and who have been placed in detention or custody. Group home type 2 are permitted in zones which permit the use.

A fire inspection is required at the time of each new application. A fire inspection is not required upon licence renewal.

At the time an application is submitted, a property standards inspection is scheduled. This inspection will be conducted in partnership with the Fire Prevention Office.