s.216 — By-laws respecting vital services

216 (1) The council of a local municipality may pass by-laws, (a) requiring every landlord to provide adequate and suitable vital services to each of the landlord’s rental units; (b) prohibiting a supplier from ceasing to provide the vital service until a notice has been given under subsection 217 (1); (c) requiring a supplier to promptly restore the vital service when directed to do so by an official named in the by-law; (d) prohibiting a person from hindering, obstructing or interfering with or attempting to hinder, obstruct or interfere with the official or person referred to in subsection 218 (1) in the exercise of a power or performance of a duty under this section or sections 217 to 223; (e) providing that a person who contravenes or fails to comply with a vital services by-law is guilty of an offence for each day or part of a day on which the offence occurs or continues; (f) providing that every director or officer of a corporation that is convicted of an offence who knowingly concurs in the commission of the offence is guilty of an offence; (g) authorizing an official named in the by-law to enter into agreements on behalf of the local municipality with suppliers of vital services to ensure that adequate and suitable vital services are provided for rental units. (2) A vital services by-law does not apply to a landlord with respect to a rental unit to the extent that the tenant has expressly agreed to obtain and maintain the vital services. (3) A vital services by-law may, (a) classify buildings or parts of buildings for the purposes of the by-law and designate the classes to which it applies; (b) designate areas of the local municipality in which the by-law applies; (c) establish standards for the provision of adequate and suitable vital services; (d) prohibit a landlord from ceasing to provide a vital service for a rental unit except when necessary to alter or repair the rental unit and only for the minimum period necessary to effect the alteration or repair; (e) provide that a landlord shall be deemed to have caused the cessation of a vital service for a rental unit if the landlord is obligated to pay the supplier for the vital service and fails to do so and, as a result of the non-payment, the vital service is no longer provided for the rental unit.