City of Ottawa looks to protect tenants from renovictions
The city of Ottawa has identified a "potential tool" that would protect tenants from renovictions, by preventing a residential building with six or more units from being demolished without a permit.
A joint meeting of the community and protective services committee and planning committee this morning will discuss ideas to address anti-renoviction proposals to protect tenants.
Renoviction refers to evictions that occur when a landlord undertakes renovations to a rental property and "then replaces the evicted tenants with those who would pay higher rents after the renovations are completed," says a report for today's meeting.
In November 2020, council directed staff to look at all the municipal tools available to prevent or prohibit renovictions in the city.
Staff say while an outright ban on all renovictions is not within the scope of the municipality's authority, they have identified, "as a potential tool", ways to prevent the further loss of affordable rental units.
The Municipal Act allows the city to "prohibit the 'conversion of residential rental properties to a purpose other than the purpose of a residential rental property', of 6 units or more, without a permit," the report says.
"The municipality may impose conditions on the permit and may require an agreement be registered on title."
The report says "this power" would prevent a residential unit or building from being used as a business or turned into a condominium, unless a permit was granted by Council.
Staff recommend the committees direct staff to prepare a proposal to explore the feasibility of a new bylaw to prohibit the full or partial demolition or conversion of residential and rental housing of six or more units without a permit issued by the city.
The report notes "every unit counts" for housing.
The committees are also being asked to direct the mayor write to the Ontario government asking for legislative changes to protect existing tenants and affordable housing stock by updating the Residential Tenancies Act to "further prevent and prohibit instances of renovictions."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.