A viewing shows you one unit on one day. The City's records show how the whole building has been looked after over years. Here is what to check before you sign.
1. The sign at the door, and the score behind it
Green (85 to 100), yellow (70 to 84) or red (under 70). Look up the building's exact score: a building at 85 is one point from yellow. What the sign means.
2. Open City orders
When an officer finds something that must be fixed, the City issues an order with a deadline. Each building page shows how many orders are open and how many are past their fix-by date.
3. The trend
A score that is rising tells a different story from one that keeps falling. Building pages show the score at every evaluation since the first one.
4. The neighbourhood
See how the building compares with the buildings around it: every neighbourhood's buildings and signs.
5. Ask how repairs are handled
Ask the landlord or manager how to request a repair and how long it usually takes. Put repair requests in writing. If a problem in a common area is not fixed, Toronto residents can call 311 to ask the City to look at it.
Information, not legal advice. For your rights as a tenant, see the Landlord and Tenant Board (tribunalsontario.ca/ltb) and the Government of Ontario.
Its City score, sign colour and open orders, free.
Look up a building