City Council approves renoviction bylaw requiring licences to remove tenants for repairs

Ottawa City Hall is seen in this undated file photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa will be introducing a new bylaw requiring landlords to acquire a licence when issuing an eviction notice to their tenants for renovation or repair purposes.

Council voted in favour of the bylaw on Wednesday, and it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

According to the Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw, landlords seeking to evict a tenant to complete renovations on their property will be required to apply for a licence from the City of Ottawa within seven days of issuing the eviction notice.

Landlords would also be required to obtain a building permit prior to issuing the eviction notice, provide the affected tenant with a City of Ottawa product eviction education guide and provide the city with details of the rental property and the scope of the work.

The bylaw passed through council with 21 yes votes. Councillors David Brown, Wlson Lo, David Hill, Alan Hubley and Steve Desroches voted no.

Councillors Matt Luloff, Isabelle Skalski, Cathy Curry and Catherine Kitts voted in favour of the bylaw but dissented on an item which would require landlords to provide a report indicating a tenant could not stay on the property throughout the renovation. The item also required landlords to provide accommodations for tenants in the case that vacant possession was required.

Councillor Curry said she would dissent on the item as she feared the wording of the item could lead to unintended consequences.

“I’m not going to vote for section three because I don’t think it will get what we want at this time, but I will vote for sections one and two,” Curry said.

Coun. Ariel Troster said the bylaw does not go as far as others in the province but marks a major step forward for Ottawa.

“The Rental Renovation Licence is a tremendous milestone for our city and is elegant in its simplicity,” Troster said. “All it does is say show us your work, and if you are a responsible and honest landlord, which most are, then this bylaw will not stop you from upgrading your property.”

Councillors on the planning and housing committee approved the adoption of the bylaw last Wednesday.

With files from CTV’s Josh Pringle.

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