Rental Renovation Licence By-law Review

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Update #1: September 15, 2025

A survey has now been posted to gather feedback on your experiences with evictions for renovation and repair in Ottawa and on potential regulations and measures under consideration for this review. This survey will take up to 15 minutes to complete and will remain open until 31 October 2025.

Please also visit the Engagement Opportunities section of this page to learn more about how else you may participate and provide feedback this month.

The City of Ottawa is considering a Rental Renovation Licence By-law, also known as a “Renovictions” By-law.

What are “renovictions”?

The term “renovictions” refers to evictions that occur when a landlord renovates or repairs a rental property and replaces the evicted tenant(s) with those who would pay higher rent after the renovations are completed, failing to meet the legislated requirements to let the tenant move back in. As opposed to legitimate evictions requiring vacancy for renovations or repairs, “renovictions” cause a concern that the eviction is occurring in bad faith and being used to illegally end the tenancy.

Landlord and tenant rights under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

In the Province of Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act governs the relationship between landlords and tenants, including how evictions from rental units can occur legally. Such evictions are legal when a landlord wishes to make repairs or renovations to a rental unit and the scope of work may require a building permit and requires vacant possession of the unit.

In these cases, the landlord must issue an N13 form to the tenant, also known as a “Notice to end your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use.” This process outlines the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants:

  • The landlord must provide the tenant with at least 120 days’ notice
  • After the renovations are complete, the tenant has the option to move back into the renovated unit provided the tenant gave prior notice in writing. This is known as the right of first refusal
  • The landlord cannot increase the rent by more than what could lawfully have been charged if there was no interruption to the tenancy
  • The tenant who wants to reoccupy the renovated unit is entitled to compensation while the unit is being renovated. That compensation is the lesser of either one to three months’ rent (depending on the size of the residential building) or equal to the rent for the time that the renovations are occurring. The landlord must also offer the tenant another rental unit that is acceptable to the tenant
  • The tenant who does not want to reoccupy the renovated unit is entitled to either the compensation of one to three months’ rent (depending on the size of the residential building) or to a comparable rental unit

Addressing and resolving disputes between landlords and tenants about evictions are in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Landlord and Tenant Board. Municipalities like the City of Ottawa cannot stop an eviction from occurring but can work to ensure that both landlords and tenants are aware of their rights.

What the City of Ottawa is reviewing

Staff will be reviewing the creation of a by-law in Ottawa that considers:

  • The scope and impact of unlawful evictions for renovations and repairs in Ottawa and potential mitigations that are within the City’s authority
  • The approaches taken in other jurisdictions to address such unlawful evictions
  • Any existing or planned legislation, programs, and services in other levels of government and how they might work with a by-law

Engagement opportunities

The City of Ottawa is refreshing its 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. Three in-person Open Houses will take place at various locations across the city in the month of September. Our review team will be part of this broader discussion and we encourage you to visit our booth to learn more about our Rental Renovation License By-law Review and to provide us with your feedback and comments. The Open Houses are drop-in style, with no registration required.

  • Wednesday, September 17, 6 to 8pm at Jim Durrell Recreation Centre
  • Thursday, September 18, 6 to 8pm at Tom Brown Arena
  • Thursday, September 25, 4:30 to 6:30pm at CardelRec Recreation Centre

For more information on the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan refresh, please visit 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan Refresh | Engage Ottawa.

Landlord and tenant supports

Please note that while we seek and welcome your feedback, including your lived experiences with past or current evictions for renovations or repair, Public Policy Development Services staff are not best positioned to assist you with any questions related to the N13 process or for any general inquiries related to the Residential Tenancies Act.

Please visit the following links, and the important links section of this page, for guidance on where to best direct your inquiries:

Update #1: September 15, 2025

A survey has now been posted to gather feedback on your experiences with evictions for renovation and repair in Ottawa and on potential regulations and measures under consideration for this review. This survey will take up to 15 minutes to complete and will remain open until 31 October 2025.

Please also visit the Engagement Opportunities section of this page to learn more about how else you may participate and provide feedback this month.

The City of Ottawa is considering a Rental Renovation Licence By-law, also known as a “Renovictions” By-law.

What are “renovictions”?

The term “renovictions” refers to evictions that occur when a landlord renovates or repairs a rental property and replaces the evicted tenant(s) with those who would pay higher rent after the renovations are completed, failing to meet the legislated requirements to let the tenant move back in. As opposed to legitimate evictions requiring vacancy for renovations or repairs, “renovictions” cause a concern that the eviction is occurring in bad faith and being used to illegally end the tenancy.

Landlord and tenant rights under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

In the Province of Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act governs the relationship between landlords and tenants, including how evictions from rental units can occur legally. Such evictions are legal when a landlord wishes to make repairs or renovations to a rental unit and the scope of work may require a building permit and requires vacant possession of the unit.

In these cases, the landlord must issue an N13 form to the tenant, also known as a “Notice to end your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use.” This process outlines the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants:

  • The landlord must provide the tenant with at least 120 days’ notice
  • After the renovations are complete, the tenant has the option to move back into the renovated unit provided the tenant gave prior notice in writing. This is known as the right of first refusal
  • The landlord cannot increase the rent by more than what could lawfully have been charged if there was no interruption to the tenancy
  • The tenant who wants to reoccupy the renovated unit is entitled to compensation while the unit is being renovated. That compensation is the lesser of either one to three months’ rent (depending on the size of the residential building) or equal to the rent for the time that the renovations are occurring. The landlord must also offer the tenant another rental unit that is acceptable to the tenant
  • The tenant who does not want to reoccupy the renovated unit is entitled to either the compensation of one to three months’ rent (depending on the size of the residential building) or to a comparable rental unit

Addressing and resolving disputes between landlords and tenants about evictions are in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Landlord and Tenant Board. Municipalities like the City of Ottawa cannot stop an eviction from occurring but can work to ensure that both landlords and tenants are aware of their rights.

What the City of Ottawa is reviewing

Staff will be reviewing the creation of a by-law in Ottawa that considers:

  • The scope and impact of unlawful evictions for renovations and repairs in Ottawa and potential mitigations that are within the City’s authority
  • The approaches taken in other jurisdictions to address such unlawful evictions
  • Any existing or planned legislation, programs, and services in other levels of government and how they might work with a by-law

Engagement opportunities

The City of Ottawa is refreshing its 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. Three in-person Open Houses will take place at various locations across the city in the month of September. Our review team will be part of this broader discussion and we encourage you to visit our booth to learn more about our Rental Renovation License By-law Review and to provide us with your feedback and comments. The Open Houses are drop-in style, with no registration required.

  • Wednesday, September 17, 6 to 8pm at Jim Durrell Recreation Centre
  • Thursday, September 18, 6 to 8pm at Tom Brown Arena
  • Thursday, September 25, 4:30 to 6:30pm at CardelRec Recreation Centre

For more information on the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan refresh, please visit 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan Refresh | Engage Ottawa.

Landlord and tenant supports

Please note that while we seek and welcome your feedback, including your lived experiences with past or current evictions for renovations or repair, Public Policy Development Services staff are not best positioned to assist you with any questions related to the N13 process or for any general inquiries related to the Residential Tenancies Act.

Please visit the following links, and the important links section of this page, for guidance on where to best direct your inquiries:

  • Questionnaire

    The City of Ottawa is considering a by-law to help protect tenants from unlawful evictions due to renovations or repair (also known as “renovictions”). Input from this questionnaire will help inform the development of this by-law.

    Background: 

    How are evictions regulated? In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants, including when and how evictions from rental units can occur. The legislation authorizes evictions in situations where landlords need to make repairs to rental units and the scope of work to be done may require a building permit and requires the unit to be vacated. In all cases, evictions must follow legislated process, including a requirement for the landlord to provide a notice of termination of tenancy to the tenant, referred to as an N13 Notice, where termination of tenancy is for renovations or repairs.  When an N13 notice is issued by a landlord, tenants have legislated rights.  

    What are “renovictions”?  The term “renovictions” refers to evictions that occur when a landlord undertakes renovations to a rental property and replaces the evicted tenant with one who would pay higher rents after the renovations are completed, failing to meet the legislated requirements to let the tenant move back in.  These evictions are associated with a concern that the landlord is undertaking the eviction in bad faith to terminate the tenancy illegally.  

    Bad faith actions are not always the case, however, as properties could require legitimate renovations after multiple years or decades of rental use, and these legitimate renovations may require vacancy of the unit.  

    We want to hear from you on this important issue. This questionnaire will take up to 15 minutes to complete and will remain open until Friday October 31. Your input is valuable, and your responses will help shape policy recommendations that will be before Committee and Council in the Spring 2026.  

    Take Questionnaire
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Page last updated: 23 Sep 2025, 09:14 AM