MAJOR STEP: Our Anti-Renoviction Bylaw Demand Has Been Heard!

Yesterday, we caused all the landlords in Toronto to shake in their boots. Tenants and ACORN members were ecstatic – as the drafted anti-renoviction bylaw that is prospectively going to be passed in the Planning and Housing Committee Meeting next week is going to be strong!

Modelled after Hamilton’s anti-renoviction bylaw that was passed by ACORN earlier this year, the drafted bylaw is proposed to disincentivize landlords to evict tenants under the guise of doing renovations.

The landlord is required to:

• Apply for a Rental Renovation Licence within seven days of issuing an N13 notice to end tenancy. Licence will be valid for a 12 months after which the landlord will have to apply for a new licence.
• Pay a Rental Renovation Licence fee of $700.00 per unit
• Post the Rental Renovation Licence on the door of the unit.
• Obtain a building permit before applying for the Rental Renovation Licence
• Submit a report from a qualified person saying that the renovation or maintenance work is so extensive that the tenant must leave the unit
• Post a Tenant Information Notice (TIN) on the door of each tenant’s unit to inform them of the licence application and to enable the tenant to seek information about their rights. This TIN will be provided to the landlord by the city within two days of receiving a complete licence application.
• After posting the TIN, the landlord must submit a declaration form stating whether the tenant wishes to return to their rental unit after the renovation is complete.
• Submit a Tenant Accommodation Plan or a Tenant Compensation Plan that is signed and agreed to by the tenant.
• For tenant(s) who choose to return to their units: Provide temporary, comparable housing at similar rents, OR provide monthly rent-gap payments to cover the rent difference, with tenants finding their own temporary housing.
• For tenant (s) who choose not to return: The landlord will make arrangements to provide severance compensation that is equal to the rent gap payments for three months.
• Provide moving allowance to all tenants regardless of whether they choose to return to the unit after the renovation is complete. This will be a one-time allowance and adjusted annually based on the annual Consumer Price Index change for Toronto.

We were at City Hall yesterday with ACORN members who have been fighting tooth and nail for years. Joining in support were Don Valley Community Legal Services, Mayor Olivia Chow (who acknowledged our fight!) and Paula Fletcher who credited us for spearheading our on-going campaign to put a full stop to renovictions.