Pulling Back the Curtain: Ottawa ACORN Launches “Hidden Renovictions” Report

This morning as ACORN members gathered to launch Ottawa ACORN’s new Hidden Renovictions report just ahead of City Councillors next vote on May 20th.

Our Hidden Renovictions report uses a combination of official Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) filings and ACORN’s own community-tracked data to reveal that renovictions in Ottawa are far more widespread than government numbers suggest.

For years, ACORN has been organizing across Ottawa to fight renovictions—when landlords push tenants out under the excuse of “renovations” just to raise the rent. We’ve marched, rallied, and stood with our neighbours. This launch was a reflection of that work—and a clear message that we’re not backing down until Ottawa has a strong renoviction bylaw.

The Iceberg Beneath the Surface

Official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) data is just the tip of the iceberg. Our report reveals a staggering gap: between 2022 and 2025, ACORN tracked 510 renovictions, yet only 24 went to the LTB. That is a mere 4.7% of renovictions are filed at the LTB.

Landlords are using “cash for keys” and harassment to bypass the law. If we apply this reality to official LTB data from 2010-2023, there were 343 N13 notices filed, it’s estimated that over 7,300 units in Ottawa have likely experienced renoviction between 2010-2023. 

That’s more than 500 renovictions a year. While more representative of the reality on the ground, the actual number of renovictions is still likely to be higher as many tenants suffer in silence and do not seek help.

Targeted Displacement

Renovictions aren’t random—they are calculated strikes. The City’s own data confirms that women, people with disabilities, and low-income earners are the primary targets of renovictions. The City’s report also showed that while tenants have a legal right to return post-renovation, less than 5% of renovicted tenants were able to return to their homes after renovations. 

Once an affordable unit is lost to a bad-faith eviction, it is gone for good. That also means the renovicted tenant is displaced from their community, school, services, and is stuck paying thousands of dollars in extra rent elsewhere.

The Solution: A Bylaw with Teeth

We aren’t just identifying the problem; we have the blueprint for a fix. Ottawa ACORN is calling for a renoviction bylaw modeled after Hamilton’s, which saw a staggering 80% drop in N13 filings in just one year. This bylaw would:

• Require landlords to apply for a renovation license proving renovations can’t happen with tenants in place
• Guarantee temporary accommodations or rent gap payments during renovations
• Cover moving costs
• Protect a tenant’s right to return at the same rent
• Enforce penalties for landlords who break the rules

Thank you to Sara Laviolette, Chair of ACORN’s Vanier chapter, and Debbie Staples, ACORN Leader in Vanier chapter for running the Hidden Renovictions Report Launch. Thank you to the ACORN members who shared their renoviction stories and why we need a strong bylaw in Ottawa: Nelda Giroux, Roxane Donovan, and Rosalinde Klempan.

Thank you to our guest speakers Councillor Stephanie Plante and Sarah Sproule—the Director of Community Legal Services Ottawa for sharing your support for ACORN’s campaign demands for a strong renoviction bylaw. We are stronger together!

On May 20th, City Staff will present their recommendations and ACORN will be there to ensure the bylaw has the teeth needed to protect our neighbours. Join us for a workshop on how to speak at city hall for the renoviction bylaw on Saturday, May 2nd at 1pm at the ACORN office (404 McArthur Ave).