Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is delivering a blunt message to landlords following the conviction of a property owner whose rental home was linked to the deaths of a mother and her three-year-old daughter in a 2023 fire.<\/p>\n
Brown said he does not want to receive another late-night call informing him that someone has died because a landlord failed to meet their legal and moral responsibilities to keep tenants safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cA rental property is not just an investment,\u201d Brown said in a statement following the conclusion of the court proceedings. \u201cThere are human beings living inside those four walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s comments came after the property owner of 47 Jade Crescent was convicted on seven charges arising from the June 2, 2023, fire.<\/p>\n
The property had originally been registered as a legal two-unit dwelling but was later converted into four rental units without the required permits, according to Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.<\/p>\n
The investigation found the additional units did not meet applicable Ontario Building Code and Fire Code requirements.<\/p>\n
The convictions included offences involving fire separations as well as the installation and maintenance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.<\/p>\n
The property owner was sentenced to 135 days of consecutive custody related to the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm offences, $50,000 in fines and $10,000 in victim surcharges. The owner was also placed on probation for two years.<\/p>\n
The fire claimed the lives of a pregnant woman and her three-year-old daughter. Another family member suffered injuries that have resulted in lifelong consequences.<\/p>\n
The tragedy also raised serious concerns about the safety conditions inside the rental property.<\/p>\n
In the days following the fire, Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg said there were no smoke alarms installed on the first floor or basement level where the family lived. Smoke alarms were found on the second and third floors, but their functionality at the time of the fire was being investigated.<\/p>\n
For Brown, the court outcome is an important reminder that landlords cannot separate collecting rent from the responsibility of providing a safe place to live.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot collect rent every month and then look the other way when it comes to the safety of your tenants,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
He also warned landlords against cutting corners by creating illegal rental units or failing to maintain basic life-safety equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a landlord ignores the rules, cuts corners, creates illegal units or fails to maintain basic life-safety equipment, they are not simply violating a regulation,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey are putting human lives at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor pointed specifically to Brampton\u2019s Residential Rental Licensing Program as one of the tools the city is using to increase accountability in the rental housing sector.<\/p>\n
The program is intended to ensure landlords understand and meet their responsibilities, including requirements related to fire and life safety.<\/p>\n
Brampton Fire and Emergency Services is also reminding property owners that working smoke alarms can provide critical early warning during a fire and that required alarms must be properly installed, tested and maintained.<\/p>\n
The city noted that changes to Ontario\u2019s Fire Code took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, including expanded carbon monoxide alarm requirements.<\/p>\n
For homes where carbon monoxide alarms are required, alarms must be installed adjacent to sleeping areas and on every storey of the home, including storeys without sleeping areas.<\/p>\n
The requirements apply to homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, attached garages or heating supplied by air from a fuel-burning appliance located outside the home.<\/p>\n
Brampton Fire Chief Andy Glynn said the Jade Crescent fire demonstrates why those requirements exist.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who violate the legislation and put lives at risk will be held accountable,\u201d Glynn said.<\/p>\n
Fire Marshal Pegg similarly reminded landlords and property owners across Ontario that they are legally responsible for ensuring required smoke alarms are installed and maintained in working condition.<\/p>\n
Brown acknowledged that no court decision can undo the loss suffered by the family involved in the Jade Crescent fire.<\/p>\n
But he said accountability still matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot change what happened on Jade Crescent,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut we can make sure that this tragedy was not in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor ended his message with a direct appeal to Brampton landlords: follow the law, maintain rental properties, test alarms and protect the people living in their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause when you rent out a home, you are responsible for the lives entrusted to you,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n