RELEASE — The City is inviting landlords to attend an information session to learn about proposed changes to the Nuisance Party Bylaw intended to further deter high-risk nuisance parties. While landlords can be fined under the proposed bylaw if they permit or allow a nuisance party to occur at their property, there are a number of simple, proactive steps that can be taken to reduce the risk and demonstrate compliance with the bylaw.
“We want to work closely with our landlords to keep Kingston safe,” says Kyle Compeau, Manager of Bylaw Enforcement for the City. “While landlords can be fined under the proposed Nuisance Party Bylaw if they permit or allow a nuisance party to occur at their property, there are a few easy steps that can be taken to help prevent that from happening. Landlords can play a big role in reducing nuisance parties and maintaining emergency capacity across the community. We want to work together to help ensure that fines are avoided.”
The Nuisance Party Bylaw is a local enforcement tool that allows Bylaw Enforcement and police to address the negative impacts of large, high-risk social gatherings involving nuisance behaviour like public intoxication, property damage and excessive noise. Under the current Nuisance Party Bylaw, it is an offence to “permit” a nuisance party to occur and, if there is evidence that a landlord permitted a nuisance party to occur on their premises, the landlord can be charged.
Proposed changes would eliminate the requirement to send landlords warning notices before charging them under the bylaw, due to the increase in volume and intensity of large nuisance parties in Kingston. While the warning notice was initially implemented to educate residents, the Nuisance Party Bylaw has now been in effect for over four years.
Landlords can play a significant role in deterring nuisance parties by taking reasonable proactive steps, such as:
- Obtaining references from prospective tenants;
- Including a provision in the lease requiring tenants to comply with the Nuisance Party Bylaw;
- Providing tenants with a copy of the City’s Nuisance Party Bylaw;
- Monitoring the property on a regular basis in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act; and
- Taking reasonable action to address complaints regarding social gatherings at the property on a timely basis.
Learn more: attend an information session
Staff will be conducting two online information sessions on April 13 to help landlords learn about how they can comply with the Nuisance Party Bylaw.
Residents can register online through Zoom:
Register for April 13 session (starts at 2pm) | Register for April 13, session (starts at 6pm)
Release: City of Kingston
Image: Pixabay (cc0)
