Council has decided that its current bylaw for discouraging unethical renovictions against low income Londoners is sufficient for the time being, despite concerns raised by Coun. David Ferreira about landlords already exploiting a loophole. On Tuesday, Ferreira brought forward a motion requesting a staff report about broadening the scope of London’s Rental Unit Repair License Bylaw. A renoviction is the unethical use of an N-13 Eviction Notice to evict a low-income tenant under the pretense of renovating their unit, when in fact, the landlord wants to use the vacancy to hike the rent for a new tenant. London’s Rental Unit Repair License by-law took effect in March, requiring landlords to obtain a $600 license from City Hall for each unit receiving an N-13 notice. Ferreira says some landlords are exploiting a loophole in the by-law that exempts demolitions or renovations that convert the apartment into a commercial business space. “London is asking us, demanding us do something. This is the most cost-effective way to stop homelessness,” he urged his Council colleagues. However, Coun. Peter Cuddy said, “I think this is doing a disservice to landlords. I think we’ve pushed them as far as we can with a renoviction bylaw, and I think we’ve gone as far as we can. I have spoken to landlords who’ve told me this.” Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis warned that a landlord’s ability to repurpose a residential building into commercial space is regulated by the property’s zoning, and shouldn’t be restricted by the renoviction by-law. It was Cuddy and Lewis who initially called for changes that would prevent unethical evictions, eventually leading City Hall to enact the Rental Unit Repair License Bylaw in March. “The last thing we need to do as a city is to allow our bylaws to sit when they need to be fixed,” countered Coun. Sam Trosow. What followed was a long and meandering debate about whether to refer the matter to an upcoming meeting of the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee. Several Councillors recommended aligning the timeline for the new report with a scheduled review of the bylaw in the Spring, but Ferreira argued that the matter requires greater urgency. “The loophole is wide open! I don’t understand why we don’t want to act now? A crisis is a crisis. A crisis means we act fast,” argued Ferreira. A majority of Council rejected the referral, but also rejected Ferreira’s original motion seeking a staff report.
