It’s the hottest day of the year so far — and some Torontonians are complaining that property owners aren’t turning on the air conditioning.

A Toronto Twitter user tweeted at 311 Toronto today asking if something could be done about turning the AC on in their apartment, as temperatures near 30 C.

311 Toronto tweeted back, saying that “Air Conditioning should go on, if provided/supplied by the property owner, from June 2nd to Sept. 14th to maintain an indoor temperature of not more than 26 Celsius. Municipal Licensing & Standards is unable to take any action outside of these dates.”

This is directly taken from the city’s bylaws about heat and air conditioning in residential properties.

Temperatures reached up to 31 C on Monday, with a Humidex of 36. The heat is expected to continue until midweek, with Tuesday reaching a high of 26 C, and Wednesday at 28 C.

“I urge all landlords to protect their tenants from extreme indoor temperatures by switching off the heat and turning the air conditioning on where possible,” said Mayor John Tory.

311 Toronto said that bylaws cannot be changed by city staff. This issue needs to be brought up with the city councillors. If the issue was big enough, it would have to be debated and voted on by council.

Last month, Councillor Josh Matlow (St. Paul’s), put forward a motion to establish Heat Alert Days, in which landlords are allowed to turn off heat and turn on AC, in conjunction with the existing system. The motion passed unanimously.

“When temperatures start climbing outside it can leave some of our most vulnerable residents boiling inside their apartments. If Mother Nature is turning up the heat, it’s up to landlords to keep their tenants cool,” said Councillor Matlow

Several people have been tweeting about this issue, given that the heat is supposed to remain for at least two days.

The Weather Network and Environment Canada have issued a Special Weather Statement, telling people to drink plenty of cool liquids, dress for the weather, and spend a few hours each day in a cool place.

Toronto Public Health also issued a news release last week, sharing tips on how to keep cool and enjoy the outdoors safely during the hot weather. The release also includes information on heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke, and how the heat can worsen pre-existing conditions, such as chronic cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.

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With files from Ilya Banares and Jennifer Pagliaro

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