Landlords in Waterloo will need to follow new rules when renovating units as the city will be introducing a renoviction bylaw next year.
City council approved a Rental Renovation Licensing bylaw Monday night that will require landlords to obtain a licence when they issue an N13 notice to tenants for renovations requiring the unit to be vacant.
City staff presented three different options to council Monday. Staff`s recommendation was to keep the level of service the same with the work the city`s Rental Housing Licensing Program is doing, but after hearing from several delegates, council decided to go ahead with a full renoviction bylaw.
"The downside of doing nothing at this point or maintaining the status quo is going to put us further behind than what I would like to see us," Coun. Sandra Hanmer said.
"I appreciate all the delegations today because you certainly helped facilitate and alleviate some of the questions I had in my mind."
Mayor Dorothy McCabe did not support the full bylaw saying staff are already working with landlords to address tenants` concerns through the city`s Rental Housing Licensing Program.
"I don`t want people thinking that we don`t care about the landlords we have here and I think we have a lot of good ones because we have a really robust Rental Housing Licensing Program, where staff are able to maintain and build really good relationships and keep on top of these things," McCabe said.
Documents needed to obtain licence
With the implementation of the bylaw, landlords will have to submit several documents to obtain a licence when issuing an N13.
Those documents include confirmation that a vacant possession of the rental unit is required, copies of the building permits and proof of delivery of the tenant and landlord rights and obligations information package to tenants.
License applications will be reviewed by a licensing and standards officer, who will be responsible for investigating non-compliance, the city said.
A tenant support liaison and tenant support fund will also be part of the new bylaw. The liaison will be a main contact for people facing housing instability or eviction, as well as conflict with their landlord.
The support fund, to which the city will allocate $20,000, will help tenants who need financial support to access legal or advocacy services related to an eviction.
Tenant compensation needed, advocate says
Jacquie Wells, chair of the Waterloo Region chapter of ACORN, told CBC News she welcomes council`s decision to implement the full bylaw.
"All of our members, not just me, are extremely happy to see that council saw the value in moving forward with it, despite staff`s recommendation," Wells said.
Wells said she would like to see tenant compensation be added to the bylaw when it`s implemented in mid-2027 to further help deter renovictions.
That means the landlord would pay the rent difference if a tenant needs to find new housing during renovations, as well as paying for the cost for the tenant to move in and out of the unit.
"Without the tenant compensation component, long term, the bylaw will not be as effective in reducing the number of N13s because that component is what really disincentivizes a landlord from disrespecting a tenants right of first refusal," she said.
The city plans to add a tenant compensation and moving costs requirement to the bylaw before it returns to council for enactment.
See also:
Toronto`s renoviction bylaw a `huge win` and already making an impact, advocates say
Hamilton to become 1st Ontario city with bylaw to stop `bad faith` renovictions
5 warning signs your landlord might try to renovict you
Photo: City Hall of Waterloo, which city will be implementing a renoviction bylaw next year after council passed a new Rental Renovation Licencing bylaw Monday night. Source: Carmen Groleau/ CBC.
| Themes |
| • Climate change • Displacement • Dispossession • Environment (Sustainable) • Forced evictions • Gentrification • Housing rights • Legal frameworks • Low income • National • Public policies • Tenants |
