It is essential that residents accept responsibility for their personal safety.
Be Informed. Please read the following information for your safety.
Persons Requiring Special Assistance - must fill out a Disability/
Medical Form to ensure their safety in the event of an evacuation
in your building. Contact your RSR to obtain a form. Please
ensure that your file with Peel Living is up to date.
Fire Extinguishers
Although fire extinguishers are provided throughout your building to
assist in the extinguishment of small fires, extreme caution should be
exercised in attempting to extinguish fires. In the event of a fire,
always call 9-1-1 first.
In Case of Fire in Your Area
If you decide to leave the building:
Check the door to your apartment. If smoke is entering around
the door, do not open it. If there is no smoke, brace yourself and
open the door carefully. If you see smoke or feel heat, close the
door quickly and protect yourself.
Check the corridor. If it looks clear and passable, close and lock your
door and walk to the nearest exit. Remember to take your keys.
Walk down the exit stairwell to the ground level. Remain calm and
hold the hand rail as you descend. If you find smoke on your way
down the stairs leave that stairway as soon as possible.
Use another stairway if it is clear of smoke.
If you can't use any stairway, return to your apartment if you can,
or go into any corridor and bang on apartment doors until you
find a place to take shelter.
Never go to the roof... smoke usually rises to the top of the
stairways. Doors opening onto the roof are locked and you
could be trapped.
Remember, wherever you are, if there is smoke, crawl low under
it.The air is cleaner near the floor.
NEVER re-enter the building until the fire department says it's "all
clear".
Do Not Use the Elevators.
If You Cannot Leave Your Unit or Have
Returned to It Because of Fire or Smoke:
Close the door and unlock it for possible entry of firefighters.
Dial 9-1-1 and tell the fire department where you are (building
address and suite number).
Important
Keep smoke from entering your apartment. Seal all cracks where
smoke can get in by using any available material (wet towels or
duct tape or masking tape).This includes door frames and air
conditioning outlets, seal vents or air ducts, etc.
If smoke enters your apartment, phone the fire department and
tell them where you are and move to a safe part in your unit.
Crouch low on the floor if smoke enters the room.
Move to the most protected room closing all doors behind you.
Wait to be rescued - remain calm.
Listen for instructions which may be given by authorized
personnel over loud hailers.
If there is a fire in your apartment:
Tell everyone in your apartment to leave.
Close all doors behind you.
Pull the fire alarm on your floor and yell fire.
Leave the building using the nearest stairway.
Call the fire department when you are safe.
Meet the firefighters at the front entrance and
tell them where the fire is located.
Develop and practise a fire escape plan for your home.The fire
department advises you to draw a floor plan of your home
showing, where possible, two exits from each room.
Make sure your babysitter also understands your fire plan.
Keep emergency telephone numbers by the phone at all times.
Kitchen
Remove pans of cooking fats and oils from the stove when not
in use - it is easy to turn on the wrong burner.
Unplug kettles, electric frying plans and other appliances when
not in use.
Keep matches out of the reach of children.
Have a fire extinguisher handy. Peel Living recommends an
approved "ABC" extinguisher for all-purpose home use.
Living room
Do not use extension cords in place of permanent wiring.
Do not overload outlets.
Provide deep, substantial ashtrays for smokers, and ensure that
the contents are placed in a metal container or toilet each
evening before retiring.
Never smoke in bed. Many people are killed in fires as a result of
bedding igniting from a cigarette in the hands of a sleepy person.
Basement
Never store combustible products such as gas, oil and rags
indoors.They are easily ignited and add fuel to a fire.
As noted in the lease, the basement area does not meet the
municipal By-Law respecting use for sleeping purposes.
Modifications creating additional bedroom space are a violation
of the lease and, more importantly, a serious safety hazard.
Keep all areas around your furnace and hot water tank free of
all items as this can pose a fire and safety hazard.
The Residential Tenancies Act and the Landlord and Tenant Board
The Landlord and Tenant Board hears landlord and tenant
disputes. Information can be obtained from the Board about your
resident rights by calling 1-888-332-3234.
Below are explanations of several processes covered under the Residential Tenancies Act:
Under the Residential Tenancies Act, legal action to terminate a
tenancy can be started by Peel Living against residents for
various reasons. Reasons include:
Rent is not paid.
Rent is frequently paid late.
Damage has been done to the unit.
Excessive noise or actions have occurred that seriously
bother any other resident or the landlord.
More people live in the unit than allowed by health, safety
or housing standards or the tenancy agreement.
Threatening the safety of another tenant.
Breaking the law anywhere on the property.
No longer qualifying for rent-geared-to-income housing.
Misrepresenting income or household size if paying rent
geared to income.
The Human Rights Code says that the landlord, people working for the
landlord and other residents cannot harass residents on the property:
harassment can be based on race, ancestry, place of origin, ethic
origin, colour, citizenship, religious beliefs, political beliefs, sex,
sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, physical and
mental disability, or receipt of social assistance;
harassment can include repeated actions or words that
embarrass or humiliate a person, insults, name-calling, racist
graffiti, sexual remarks, etc. Grabbing, pushing or hitting are forms
of assault and only need to happen once for action to be taken
by Peel Living;
if residents feel that other residents or staff have harassed them
(as defined above), the resident should report the harassment in
writing to the Resident Services Representative and keep a copy
as well.The letter should report details about every incident,
including place, date and time the harassment took place, and
details of the harassment. Peel Living investigates and addresses
all complaints received.
The Municipal Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, 1991
This Act covers municipalities, local school boards and government
agencies such as Peel Living. Under the Act, residents have several
important rights:
the right to obtain government information including most
general records;
the right to see personal information held about yourself;
the right to protection from unauthorized release of personal
information that has been collected by government.
The information contained in the application for housing and
resident files cannot be shared with anyone other than the resident,
not even a family member, without written permission.
If a financial institution wishes to verify tenancy and/or the amount of
rent paid, the information cannot be shared without written
permission of the resident.
Social Housing Reform Act
The purpose of this Act is to provide for the efficient and effective
administration of housing programs by service managers (Region of
Peel). For more information visit ServiceOntario.
