❄️ Toronto in December: Cold Streets, Cozy Homes — Your Shelterly Update!

Season’s greetings from Shelterly —


Happy Holidays from Shelterly. However you celebrate - or don’t celebrate - we wish you warmth, comfort, safety, and a calm, cozy home throughout the winter season.

A group of five people taking a selfie in an office, smiling and celebrating.
The word 'shelterly' in bold white text on a black background.
A person with black hair, wearing a dark suit, participating in a meeting or hearing with three blurred people sitting at a table in the background.

Bill 60 Has Passed — What It Means for You

Ontario has officially passed Bill 60, which makes the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) faster and more efficient.

Most tenants are not affected.
These changes are aimed only at:

  • Chronic non-payment

  • Repeated late payment patterns

  • Tenants who bring up unrelated issues at the last minute

  • Abuse of the LTB process

What stays exactly the same:

  • Rent control rules

  • Your right to safe, well-maintained housing

  • Your right to raise maintenance concerns

  • The requirement for a legal LTB eviction order

👉 Shelterly will continue to support tenants who pay on time and care for their homes.

Quick Fixes that Can Save you Time!

Design with a university seal and the words 'Teamwork Achievement' in script under it.

Often, we receive maintenance requests for small issues that can easily be resolved by our tenants. By sending out maintenance staff for easily addressable maintenance items, the cost to operate increases for the property and eventually your rent will increase.

Why not take minute to read our guide to see how you can take initiative, keep costs and rent increases down, and feel good about handling a task all by yourself!

Rental management dashboard with tenant Mia White's profile, unpaid overdue rent, and options to pay online or request repairs.

If you can’t resolve the problem, we will solve it.

Click below to submit a maintenance request.

Safety Starts with You: Be Proactive in Your Home

Tenant safety is a top priority, and it starts with you. Always keep an eye out for potential hazards and take precautions to stay safe. Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors every month - if they do not work, please get in touch with us immediately. If you notice any safety concerns—like faulty locks, broken stairs, or fire risks—report them to our Support Team immediately. Together, we can maintain a secure and comfortable living environment!

🏠 6 Ways to Prep Your Home This December

  • Cozy living room with a stone fireplace, beige sofas, armchairs, wooden ceiling, chandelier, and large windows showing greenery outside.

    1. Keep Your Home Warm & Vents Clear

    Maintain indoor heat above 18°C and avoid blocking radiators or vents with furniture. This keeps the unit comfortable and prevents heating issues.

  • Close-up of a metal surface with icicles hanging down, reflecting light and creating sparkling effects.

    2. Prevent Frozen Pipes

    On very cold nights, open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks, and never turn your heat off when leaving. Frozen pipes can cause major damage.

  • Rain-covered window with blurred green trees and foliage outside.

    3. Reduce Moisture & Window Condensation

    If you notice low heat, weird noises, leaks, drafts, or slow drains, let us know right away. Early reporting keeps your home safe and avoids bigger problems later.

  • A doormat with the word 'WELCOME' is placed outside a door on a pink and gray patterned tile porch. There are some fallen leaves around the doormat, and a person wearing black shoes and beige pants is standing on the porch.

    4. Use Salt & Mats to Protect Floors

    Snow and slush can damage flooring.
    Use a doormat, boot tray, and wipe up melted snow quickly. This avoids slippery spots and prevents floor warping.

  • A colorful table setting with various plates, glasses, cutlery, and decorative items, featuring fruits and artful dishware.

    5. Don’t Overload the Kitchen Sink

    Holiday cooking can clog drains.
    Avoid putting grease, oil, rice, pasta, coffee grounds, or peels down the sink. Let oils cool and place them in the trash instead.

  • Man with short dark hair and glasses talking on a smartphone, wearing a white shirt and a watch, with the sunset in the background.

    6. Report Issues Early — Don’t Wait

    If you notice low heat, weird noises, leaks, drafts, or slow drains, let us know right away. Early reporting keeps your home safe and avoids bigger problems later.

Now the fun stuff!

✨ Gingerbread Hug Latte

A warm, cozy December drink that tastes like a gingerbread cookie in a mug.


A glass of iced iced coffee with two cinnamon sticks on top, placed on a beige ceramic plate and a cream-colored napkin. In the background, there is a small jar of honey and a wooden platter.

Ingredients (1–2 servings):

  • 1 ½ cups milk (or oat milk for extra creaminess)

  • 1 tbsp molasses

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup

  • ½ tsp ground ginger

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Whipped cream or frothed milk (optional)

  • Crumbled ginger snap or cinnamon sprinkle on top (optional)

🔧 Instructions:

  1. Warm the milk gently in a saucepan — don’t let it boil.

  2. Whisk in the molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.

  3. Continue whisking until smooth, hot, and slightly thickened.

  4. Pour into your favourite mug.

  5. Add whipped cream or frothed milk, and sprinkle crushed gingersnap or cinnamon on top.

🌟 Tastes like:

A gingerbread cookie meets a warm latte, without caffeine or alcohol. Cozy, festive, comforting — perfect for cold Toronto nights.

City street with historic brick building, modern high-rise buildings in background, trees, bicycles, and a moving trolley bus.

City of Craft 2025🎉


City of Craft gathers 60+ local and Canadian makers — potters, woodworkers, textile artists, jewelers, and more — giving you the chance to support independent artisans and find truly unique gifts.

  1. It tends to fly a bit under the “big market / big-lights” radar, so it’s often more relaxed, creative, and community-driven than the huge holiday fairs.

  2. Great for a thoughtful gift-hunt, supporting local makers, or enjoying a cozy, artsy winter stroll with friends or family.

Interior shot of a modern lounge with a long bar and seating area. The bar has several stools, and the lounge features mid-century modern armchairs and couches, a large wooden wall with geometric design, and a tall indoor plant. Overhead lighting fixtures are visible.

Ace Hotel


Because it functions more like a community gathering space than a traditional hotel check-in lobby, you don’t need to be a guest to enjoy it. It’s a welcoming place where residents, renters, entrepreneurs, and visitors can freely drop in to work, relax with a coffee, meet friends, or simply enjoy the warm, inviting atmosphere.

📍 Address: 51 Camden St, Toronto, ON M5V 1V2, Canada

Missed a month? Catch up below!