Retirement home contractor compliance in Ontario comes down to three things: knowing which contractors the law treats as staff, briefing everyone else before they start, and holding the usual insurance, WSIB and licence records. Both the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 and the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 count people who work in the home under a contract as staff, with a narrow exception for supervised, occasional maintenance and repair work. This guide covers what that means for the trades you hire.
Which contractors count as staff
Under both Acts, "staff" includes people who work at the home as employees, under a contract with the licensee, or under a contract between the licensee and an agency or other third party. Before hiring staff, the licensee must conduct screening measures that include a police record check for anyone 18 or older. The regulations require that check to be a vulnerable sector check, done by a police record check provider within six months before the person is hired, and they also require signed declarations about later charges and convictions.
Both regulations exempt a contractor from those police check requirements if the person:
- works at the home under a contract, not as an employee of the licensee;
- will only provide occasional maintenance or repair services;
- will not provide direct care to residents; and
- will be monitored and supervised under the licensee's written policies for that kind of work.
In practice, a plumber called for a leak or an elevator technician on a service visit usually fits the exception. Contracted housekeeping, dietary or personal support staff, agency workers and anyone with regular resident contact usually do not, and should be screened like employees. In long-term care, agency staff are considered hired when they first work at the home. If a contractor sits near the line, many operators simply ask for the check.
What contractors must be told before they start
Staff generally need training before working in the home. The exemption for occasional maintenance and repair contractors only applies if the licensee gives them information first:
- Retirement homes: the home's policy to promote zero tolerance of abuse and neglect, its emergency plan, and its infection prevention and control (IPAC) program.
- Long-term care homes: the Residents' Bill of Rights, the zero tolerance policy, the duty to report certain matters to the Director, whistle-blowing protections, fire prevention and safety, emergency and evacuation procedures, and infection prevention and control.
A one-page contractor briefing, signed at sign-in, is a common way to deliver this and keep a record of it. Many homes pair it with a supervision rule, such as an escort in resident areas, since supervision is also a condition of the exemption.
Infection prevention and fire safety in an occupied building
Both Acts require the home to have an IPAC program. Contractors are not running that program, but their work affects it. Common site rules include:
- screening at the door and following any outbreak restrictions in force;
- hand hygiene and personal protective equipment as the home directs;
- dust control and negative pressure for drywall, ceiling and demolition work;
- scheduling noisy or disruptive work around meals, medication passes and rest times;
- keeping tools, chemicals and sharp materials locked or attended at all times.
Fire safety matters more where many residents need help to evacuate. Under the Ontario Fire Code, the owner remains responsible for fire alarm inspection and testing even when a contractor does it. Most homes also use a hot work permit, notify the monitoring company before any alarm or sprinkler impairment, and set a fire watch while systems are out of service. Exits and corridors should never be blocked by materials.
Documents to collect, by trade
Insurance and licensing requirements here are set by the operator and its insurer, not by the retirement home or long-term care legislation. The table shows common practice in Ontario.
| Trade | Typical documents | Common minimum |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC, plumbing, general maintenance | COI, WSIB clearance, trade certificates | $2M CGL |
| Electrical | COI, WSIB clearance, ESA Electrical Contractor Licence | $2M CGL |
| Fire alarm, sprinkler, extinguisher service | COI, WSIB clearance, technician certifications, service reports | $5M CGL |
| Roofing, restoration, elevator | COI, WSIB clearance, Working at Heights records where fall protection is used | $5M CGL |
| Contracted housekeeping, dietary, care staff | COI, WSIB clearance, vulnerable sector checks, training records | $2M CGL, often more |
Ask for the operating company to be named as additional insured, and remember that in construction work a WSIB clearance must be in place before work begins and for the whole job. Our guide to what documents to collect from contractors covers each item in more detail.
Retirement home contractor compliance checklist
- Decide whether the contractor is occasional maintenance or repair, or regular staff under contract.
- For staff under contract, confirm vulnerable sector checks and declarations for each worker.
- Collect the certificate of insurance, WSIB clearance and any trade licence.
- Deliver the contractor briefing and keep the signed acknowledgement.
- Confirm IPAC rules, outbreak status and work hours for the area.
- Arrange hot work permits and any fire alarm or sprinkler impairment notice.
- Assign the staff member who will supervise the contractor on site.
Other provinces have their own retirement and long-term care legislation with different screening rules. If you operate outside Ontario, check the local Act and regulations before applying this list.
Keeping it current
Track the expiry date on every certificate and clearance, request renewals before they lapse, and file each contractor briefing with the visit record so it is easy to show an inspector. When you need a new trade, the directory lists service providers by category and location, and the contractor compliance checklist gives you a starting list of documents. Vendorpass can hold these records for each home if you operate more than one.