Mayor John Tory says that he will have “no hesitation” to issue some sort of bylaw making masks mandatory in common areas of residential buildings if the city doesn’t get “adequate cooperation” from landlords.

Masks have been mandatory in all indoor public settings in Toronto since July 7 but the rules applying to private property are more haphazard.

For instance, the bylaw adopted by the city earlier this month requires stores and other places that the public can access to enforce the requirement for masks but it does not apply to common areas within residential buildings, such as lobbies and elevators.

Tory, however, has been trying to convince individual landlords to implement their own policies and wrote to the Greater Toronto Apartment Association earlier this week to make the request.

Speaking with reporters during his biweekly briefing at city hall on Wednesday, Tory said that the city seems to be getting good cooperation from building owners so far but he said that he has not ruled out trying to implement some sort of bylaw if some buildings refuse to implement policies on mask use.

“I think given the concern that I have heard expressed about this from tenants across the city and given the fact that we showed no hesitation after careful consideration to put a bylaw in place that deals with wearing face coverings on transit and in public indoor spaces then if we don’t see voluntary cooperation when it comes to private property (that we want), we will have no hesitation to move forward and do whatever we can by way of a bylaw,” he said.

The city has already created signage that building operators can display in common areas to inform residents and visitors about the need to wear masks.

It has also issued a formal recommendation that buildings implement policies with the support of Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa.

On Wednesday, Tory said that he has been “hesitant” to implement a bylaw to date “because it is better if the people who own the property do that” but he said that it is always an option, even if the city’s “legislative options are somewhat more limited” when it comes to private property.

Any bylaw, it should be noted, would have to be approved by city council.

“If we don’t’ get adequate cooperation then certainly we will have the opportunity to look at a bylaw in this area,” Tory said.