Work started on renovictions bylaw after report shows eviction notices jump

City staff will finally start to develop a renovation licence and relocation bylaw for Ottawa after a report shows eviction notices jumped in the last several years.

Known as the “renoviction bylaw” councillors are interested in making sure bad actor landlords cannot evict tenants on the pretense of renovations or major work in their unit and then increase the rent for the next tenants after some or no work is done.

Through a motion from Councillor Ariel Troster, who also asked staff to find out how many eviction notices have gone to the Ottawa Landlord Tenant Board, staff will be looking at a bylaw review and are expected to report back to committee by spring 2026.

The work includes the feasibility, legality and practicality of a new bylaw that would prevent eviction of a rental unit’s tenants under the context of upgrading the unit to instead increase the rent.

“The motion stemmed from a City feasibility assessment related to developing the new bylaw,” a press release notes. “The assessment outlines the significant funding and staff resources that would be needed to implement and enforce the bylaw.”

Some needed resources include up to 15 new positions and annual costs between $1.8 and $2.2 million. Committee made this a priority by freeing up capacity and directing staff to asking for funding sources before council meets next Wednesday.

Eviction notices skyrocket

Staff noted a report how needed a bylaw or protection is for tenants in Ottawa.

“Staff acknowledge that it is highly probable that unlawful evictions, under the pretext of renovation, are occurring in the community,” it reads. “Staff further acknowledge the harm caused to one’s wellbeing when they are forced to leave their home for any reason, lawful or otherwise.”

According to a request for information from Councillor Troster, there was an increase in eviction notices in the last several years. Huge rises in notices were specifically for landlords raising rents above guidelines or repairing/demolishing the unit.

Despite some measures from the province during 2020 and 2021, eviction notices to increase rent jumped 1,158 per cent between 2020 and 2022.

Prior, landlords were routinely asking for more rent between 2011 and 2019 with a 527 per cent increase in forms over that time. During 2020 this decreased briefly.

Landlords filing notices for repairs/demolishing units was “stable” the data shows between 2017 and 2019 and then increased by 483 per cent from 2019 to 2022.

These types of incidents are what housing advocates point to as a loophole for many landlords.