Victoria Cooling Requirements: LandlordBC Calls for a Practical Path Forward
LandlordBC has submitted a letter to Victoria Mayor and Council in response to the Council Member Motion, Strategies and Resources to Require Cooling (26°C maximum) in Victoria’s Rental Buildings, scheduled for consideration at the May 14, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting.
LandlordBC supports the City’s objective of protecting tenant health during increasingly frequent extreme heat events. However, any requirement to maintain a maximum indoor temperature in existing rental buildings must be grounded in the operational, infrastructure, and financial realities facing rental housing providers.
In its letter, LandlordBC highlights concerns related to building and neighbourhood electrical capacity, the significant cost of required upgrades, and the limited ability of rental building operators to recover or finance these expenses. These challenges are especially important in the current rental market, where declining rents, rising operating costs, and property tax increases are already placing pressure on the viability of existing rental housing.
LandlordBC is urging the City to work directly with rental housing providers and industry partners to assess capacity constraints, understand real implementation costs, and develop practical cost recovery mechanisms. A collaborative approach is necessary to ensure tenant protection goals can be achieved without unintentionally undermining the long-term sustainability of Victoria’s rental housing stock.
A copy of LandlordBC’s full letter to Victoria Mayor and Council is available here.