Ottawa's planning and housing committee approved a proposed bylaw Wednesday aimed at preventing bad-faith renovictions, with only Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo dissenting. The Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw will now head to city council for final approval on July 15. If passed, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
What the bylaw requires
Under the proposed bylaw, landlords seeking to evict tenants for renovations or repairs would have to apply for a city licence within seven days of issuing an N13 eviction notice. To obtain the licence, landlords would need to secure a building permit before issuing the notice, provide information about the tenancy and renovation, and confirm they gave tenants a city-produced guide explaining their rights. The licence would be free, with enforcement handled through complaints. Landlords who violate the bylaw could face fines.
Provincial vs. municipal jurisdiction
City staff stressed the bylaw would not change provincial eviction rules. “All evictions are provincial jurisdiction,” staff told the committee. “No municipal bylaw can determine when and how an eviction takes place. Rather, what bylaws can do is support the provincial process to stop bad actors from evicting tenants without following the proper process.” Staff said the bylaw would provide two major benefits: helping ensure landlords seeking evictions for renovations or repairs are acting in good faith by requiring a building permit, while also improving awareness of tenant and landlord rights through the city’s guide.
Tenant testimony
The proposal drew emotional testimony from tenants who said they had experienced renovictions firsthand. James Adair, who said he was renovicted from his Centretown apartment while attending the University of Ottawa, urged councillors to support the bylaw. “Renovictions are destroying our communities, families and people,” Adair said. Andre Robert, who receives Ontario Disability Support Program benefits, said he rents a small apartment he can currently afford. After his building was sold in 2024, he said all five tenants received N13 eviction notices within three days of the sale. Robert said several of his neighbours moved out before the landlord completed only minor repairs and increased rents. “It took 18 months before my landlord stopped trying to evict us,” Robert told the committee.
Similar bylaws elsewhere
Similar bylaws designed to limit this practice are already in place in cities like Hamilton, Toronto and London. A renoviction happens when a landlord uses renovations or repairs as a reason to evict a tenant, then rents the unit to someone else at a higher price instead of allowing the original tenant to return at their previous rent.
