Losing heat is stressful, and what you can actually do about it depends on whether you own a house or rent in one of Scarborough’s older purpose-built apartment towers.
If You’re Renting in an Apartment Building
Many of Scarborough’s older rental towers use building-supplied central heating that individual tenants can’t service or adjust beyond a thermostat or radiator valve. If your unit has no heat but you can’t identify any in-suite equipment to check, contact building management or your landlord first — Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act requires landlords to maintain adequate heat, and a no-heat complaint should go through that channel, not a private in-suite repair call.
If You Own a House
- Thermostat — is it set to Heat, and is the target temperature above the current room reading? Check batteries if it’s battery-powered.
- Breaker panel — has a breaker tripped for the furnace circuit?
- Furnace switch — many furnaces have a wall switch near the unit that looks like an ordinary light switch. Easy to bump off in a basement.
Check the Filter
A severely clogged filter can cause a furnace to overheat and shut itself down as a safety measure. If it’s visibly caked with dust, replace it and see if the furnace restarts after a few minutes.
Look for an Error Code
Most modern furnaces have a small window showing a blinking light code. Photograph the pattern before you call — it tells a technician exactly what fault the furnace is reporting, which speeds up the repair.
What Not to Do
Don’t take apart the furnace cabinet, don’t reset the system repeatedly hoping it “catches,” and don’t attempt any gas line or ignition work yourself. Gas components should only be handled by a TSSA-licensed technician.
When to Call
Homeowners: if the basics check out and the furnace still won’t run — or you smell gas at any point — stop troubleshooting and call immediately. Apartment tenants: if building management isn’t responding to a heat complaint in a reasonable time, the City of Toronto’s own heat bylaw sets minimum indoor temperature requirements you’re entitled to.
Our dispatcher is available 24/7 for house calls, and a technician can typically be on-site within 60 minutes.