ACORN London sent every candidate a survey on tenant protections. It asked about rental licensing, a landlord registry, inspections, vacant downtown buildings, and housing quality.
Right now, a homeowner renting out a basement apartment needs a City licence and an inspection before the first tenant moves in, while the apartment tower down the street doesn’t need a rental licence at all. My answers start from that gap. I’d point the City’s enforcement at the large buildings that keep generating complaints, and keep new red tape off the homeowner who rents out part of a house to help pay the mortgage.
Here is every question and every answer I submitted, word for word.
All the questions, and my answers
General questions for all candidates
Why are you running for Mayor / Ward Councillor in this election? What motivated you to put your name forward at this time?
Year after year, decision after decision, we’re left helpless watching our own councillor side with city staff over objections from the community on a variety of issues, but mainly rezoning and development.
Our friendly neighbourhoods are becoming cold and sterile. Cars, yards, and homes get hit overnight, or even in broad daylight. Taxes keep climbing. We’re stuck in gridlock and perpetual construction. It’s time for a change, and I’m ready to bring a fresh perspective to City Hall.
What are the top 2–3 priorities in your campaign platform? How do these address the needs of low- and moderate-income Londoners?
First, taxes. I won’t support a property tax rate increase during my term after the 20% increase over the past 3 years, and my proposed PACT bylaw cuts council’s own pay whenever taxes go up beyond inflation. Any increase comes out of a paycheque, and renters pay it too, because a landlord’s expenses show up in the rent.
Second, roads that actually move. Every hour a worker sits in gridlock, or detours around what seems like never-ending construction, is an hour taken from home or the job.
Third, safety at home. When a car or a bike gets hit overnight, somebody has to find the deductible, or the money for a new bike, before the next shift. And nobody should feel like a victim in their own neighbourhood.
What experience or background do you bring that distinguishes you from the other candidates running in your race?
I’ve drafted the proposed Pay Accountable to City Taxpayers bylaw, which cuts city council’s pay whenever taxes rise faster than inflation, and I published it open-source for anyone to read and suggest amendments to.
I work in diverse fields, from growing and selling berries and fresh produce, to developing apps and helping people with their computers.
And every promise, and every published statement I’ve made during this campaign, is public and searchable on my website, so you can hold me to my word.
If elected, what would be your single highest priority in your first year as Mayor / Ward Councillor?
Holding the line on property taxes. I’ll vote no on any rate increase, and I’ll bring the PACT bylaw forward so council’s own pay drops whenever taxes outrun inflation. With their own pay on the line, a tax increase becomes a little less appealing.
Question for challenger council candidates
What gaps do you see in the current Council’s approach to rental housing maintenance and by-law enforcement? How would you push for improvements if elected?
A homeowner renting out a basement apartment needs a licence and an inspection before the first tenant moves in, while an entire apartment tower down the street doesn’t need a licence at all. That’s backwards. I’d push bylaw enforcement to focus on the large buildings that keep generating complaints, inspect them top to bottom, and follow through with strict enforcement.
Shared council questions
Tenants in London often face challenges getting repairs for issues like mould, pests, or lack of heat because enforcement only kicks in after formal complaints. Would you support moving to a proactive system where the City regularly inspects rental properties, especially multi-unit buildings, to catch problems early?
Undecided
I’m leaning against it. Sending inspectors through every rental building on a schedule means a bigger bureaucracy and new fees. Someone has to pay for that, and it’s likely to land on taxpayers and tenants.
A complaint-driven system can work if the enforcement behind it is efficient and effective. When a tenant reports mould or a dead furnace, the inspection should happen quickly, and there must be strong consequences for non-compliance. Where a building keeps generating complaints, that’s where I’d send inspectors through top to bottom.
A Landlord Registration Program, modelled after successful approaches elsewhere, would require landlords to register their properties, helping the City identify and address issues more efficiently. Such a program can be self-funded through fees and would not require new taxpayer dollars beyond startup. Do you support exploring and implementing a Landlord Registration Program in London?
Other: Yes for landlords renting out multiple buildings or any medium/high-density building, with lighter rules for homeowners
London’s rental licence already covers the homeowner with a basement apartment, while apartment towers are exempt. I’d flip that around. Any landlord who rents out more than one building they don’t live in, or even a single apartment building or other medium- or high-density rental, should be registered, so the City knows who owns it and who to call when the heat goes out. Where a landlord already holds the current rental licence, the registry should replace it, so nobody pays for two layers of paperwork. Enforcement stays complaint-driven, but once a building crosses a set number of substantiated complaints, it moves onto scheduled inspections until it stays clean through a probationary period. Someone earning a living from rental housing should meet a higher standard than a homeowner renting out a basement apartment to help pay the mortgage. Making it easier for that homeowner to rent means more homes on the market.
As a Ward Councillor, would you actively champion and vote in favour of a strong Landlord Registration Program with proactive enforcement at City Council? Please explain your position.
For any landlord who rents out more than one building they don’t live in, or even a single apartment building or other medium- or high-density rental, I’d vote in favour of a registry so there’s a name and contact info on file when mould starts creeping across a bathroom ceiling or cockroaches start appearing.
For enforcement, I’d keep it responsive: tenant complaints get a fast inspection and strong consequences for non-compliance, and a building that keeps generating substantiated complaints goes onto scheduled inspections until it earns a clean record. That puts the City’s attention on the worst offenders and keeps the homeowner renting out a basement apartment free of new red tape.
How would you address concerns about large property owners who leave key downtown buildings vacant or in disrepair, impacting the local economy and community vitality?
A vacant building costs its owner money every month, so most owners would rather fill it. What keeps a building boarded up is the time and cost of permits, inspections and zoning approvals stacked on top of finding a tenant. I’d cut that friction: fast-track permits, and pre-approved designs for adaptive reuse, so turning an empty building into shops or apartments is quicker and cheaper than leaving it sitting. Where an owner lets a building fall apart, the property standards bylaw already applies to every property in the city, vacant or not, and I’d expect it enforced. And downtown has to feel safe and clean, because nobody signs a lease on a street they don’t want to walk down.
What specific actions would you take in your ward to improve housing quality for low- and moderate-income residents, including renters?
The best protection is being able to walk away from a bad situation, and that goes both ways. A tenant setting a bucket under a leaking ceiling every time it rains should have somewhere better to move, and a homeowner thinking about renting out a basement apartment should feel confident it won’t turn into a costly gamble.
When renting is mutually beneficial, more people open up units, and more quality housing becomes available to the tenants who need it.
I’d push for property standards orders against registered rental buildings to be searchable by address, so a family can check a building’s track record before they sign a lease.
And when a tenant reports a problem, I’ll push bylaw enforcement to deal with it swiftly and effectively.
Closing questions
Do you commit to supporting the implementation of a Landlord Registration Program in London that shifts from a purely complaint-based system to proactive enforcement while being self-funding?
Other: I’d support a self-funded registry covering multi-building and medium/high-density landlords, with proactive inspections only for repeat offenders.
I’d support a registry that pays for itself, covering landlords who rent out more than one building they don’t live in, or any apartment building or other medium- or high-density rental. For those landlords it replaces the current rental licence, so the fee they already pay goes toward it.
Enforcement starts with tenant complaints. Once a building piles up substantiated complaints, it moves onto scheduled inspections, and the owner pays for those return visits until the building earns a clean record.
Would you champion this program at City Council / as Mayor?
Other: I’d vote in favour of a registry built the way I’ve described, but I won’t lead a push for burdening good landlords the same as bad ones.
A big part of my platform is cutting red tape, so every new rule that comes to Council has to show it’s worth the burden it adds. The registry I’ve described can pass that test, because it replaces the current rental licence for the landlords it covers and leaves the homeowner renting out part of their home alone. If it comes to Council built that way, it gets my vote.
Additional comments
Is there anything else you would like to share regarding housing affordability, tenant protections, rental housing quality, homelessness prevention, or other housing-related priorities?
Most of my answers come back to one idea. Renters do best when there’s a For Rent sign on more than one street to choose from and the rent isn’t climbing to cover City Hall’s spending. I’ll hold the line on property taxes and cut the red tape that keeps new rental housing from getting built and rented out.
My goal is for the market to provide every kind of home, from a bedroom rental to a high-rise apartment, to dynamically meet the demand of those seeking them.
That is every question I answered. If you can help me sharpen my positions, please get in touch!