Renovictions bylaw faces pushback, but committee backs further strengthening tenant protections
CTV
Landlords might have to provide tenants with alternate places to live during extensive renovations to their rental units if a proposal to crack down on “renovictions” is backed by council.
Landlords might have to provide tenants with alternate places to live during extensive renovations to their rental units if a proposal to crack down on “renovictions” is backed by council.
On Monday, a draft-licensing bylaw to discourage renovictions drew dozens of at-risk tenants and a couple of landlords to a public participation meeting at city hall.
Low-income tenants spoke about the fear of being evicted from their below-market rent apartments and becoming homeless.
“What are these renovictions really costing this city right now?” asked Jordan Smith, chair of the Carling-Stoneybrook Chapter of tenants’ advocacy group London ACORN. “What is it going to cost this city if we don't implement a robust tenant rent eviction bylaw that works?”
Some landlords have been accused of unethically using N13 Notices to evict a low-income tenant on the pretense of doing extensive renovations to their apartment—only to instead use the vacancy to hike the rent.
The draft-licensing bylaw being considered at city hall would require landlords issuing N13 Notices:
- obtain a $400 Rental Unit Repair License from city hall for each unit