Renovictions By-Law

There were many instances where tenants left and while only cosmetic changes took place the rent was doubled or tripled in the same apartment. Many tenants have been forced out of their long time homes and neighbourhoods where they actually had the right to stay. It became clear that an N-13 eviction notice should be tied in some way to a building permit. With the end of the 2022 term, the Committee ended without being able to advance this as a solution. The City of Hamilton has now found a way to tie the N-13 to a building permit with their new Renovictions bylaw that requires landlords to obtain a Renovations Permit after they have issued an N-13 to tenants. In Hamilton's bylaw passed in January 2024, the landlord has seven days to apply to the City for a Renovation License, which includes a building permit, an engineer's report to certify that the unit is not habitable during the construction, and a copy of the N-13 issued to the tenant. If tenants exercise their formal right to move back into the unit under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, Hamilton's renovation license requires that that the landlord provide the tenant with suitable relocation assistance and share this information with the City. This also triggers the City to provide information to tenants about their rights and the N-13 process including how tenants can file a right of first refusal. The Hamilton By-law is a unique and innovative example of how City's can protect renters. We are seeking the Committee's support to have the staff incorporate analysis of the Hamilton by-law into their upcoming report back on the renoviction by-law. We ask all Committee members for their support.