A renoviction bylaw might soon be introduced in Kitchener, as the council voted 5-3 to proceed with it during a finance and corporate services committee meeting on Monday night.
This decision still needs final approval at a council meeting scheduled for April. If approved, new regulations for landlords could take effect in January 2027, according to a report presented at the committee meeting.
According to the proposed rules, landlords would have to obtain a license for each unit that requires a tenant to leave due to an N13 notice being issued.
Additionally, landlords must provide supporting documents such as building permits, a professional assessment indicating that vacant possession is necessary, a copy of the N13 notice, and proof that all required information has been given to impacted tenants.
City staff recommended adopting a simpler licensing model that “enhances transparency and oversight while avoiding duplication of provincial processes.”
Kitchener’s move towards a renoviction bylaw aligns with actions taken by other cities in Ontario. The City of Waterloo enacted its own bylaw in January, mandating similar rules for landlords when renovating units.
<p Other municipalities like London, Toronto, and Hamilton have also put renoviction bylaws into place.
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Calls for Tenant Compensation
Kitchener councillors listened to several speakers on Monday night advocating for stronger compensation measures for tenants. Ryan Murdock from the local chapter of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) stated that landlords should cover additional costs if tenants need to rent elsewhere during renovations or provide temporary housing while work is ongoing. “You’re the one being displaced from your home and you’re already paying and the landlord fundamentally benefits financially from this so they should be the ones making that investment and shouldering the financial cost,” Murdock said. “Moving costs should also be covered,” he added. Coun. Debbie Chapman proposed an amendment during Monday’s meeting requiring landlords to offer those supports to tenants. Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic expressed concerns that it might become too expensive and discourage landlords from carrying out essential renovation work. “If it becomes too cost prohibitive to make a renovation we could find that people may be living in substandard conditions because a landlord may not want to pay for the cost of the renovation,” he said. A decision regarding Chapman’s amendment was postponed until the April council meeting.Source link
