Renovictions Bylaw Development

The City of Toronto is developing a new bylaw aimed at preventing “renovictions” – when a landlord illegitimately evicts a tenant by alleging that vacant possession of a rental unit is needed to undertake renovations or repairs. Renovictions can include refusing to allow a tenant to return post-renovation, illegally raising the rent on a returning tenant or not undertaking major renovations after evicting tenants.

Renovictions have become a serious issue in Toronto and affect tenants across the city, including low-income and marginalized communities. With a shortage of affordable housing and low vacancy rates, it’s more important than ever to preserve existing affordable rental homes. This bylaw will establish new rules to prevent bad faith evictions and help maintain affordable homes for Toronto’s residents.

Key Features of the Proposed Bylaw

In June 2024, City Council directed city staff to create a new renovictions bylaw to tackle this growing issue. The bylaw is being modeled after successful initiatives in other cities and aims to strengthen protections for tenants across Toronto.

City staff will present City Council with a proposed bylaw that includes, but is not limited to:

• Requiring landlords to apply for a renovation licence within seven days of issuing an N13 notice to a tenant.
• Submission of documents such as approved building permits, a copy of the N13 notice, a Tenant Information Notice, a report confirming the need for vacant possession and a tenant accommodation or compensation plan.
• Prohibiting landlords from beginning renovations until the renovation licence is obtained.
• Applying the bylaw to all rental units in Toronto, with certain exemptions and considerations for a phased approach.

The City will engage with the public and interested parties and will report back with a proposed bylaw by October 30.

Get Involved

We want to hear from tenants, landlords, the organizations that support them and the public before finalizing the renoviction bylaw. This will help us protect tenants and make sure landlords understand how to follow the new rules.

Complete our Survey

Share your insights and experiences by completing our online survey by September 30. Your responses will be anonymous and will inform the development of the bylaw.

Attend a Public Drop-in or Virtual Session

Please join us at one of the in-person or online sessions noted below. We look forward to hearing from you.

Updates on the bylaw’s development process will be posted on this webpage.