City Of Kitchener Passes Renoviction Bylaw: What does it mean for Residents, Tenants, and Landlords?
Kitchener’s new “renoviction” bylaw (officially the Rental Renovation Licensing By-law) was narrowly approved by City Council on April 13/14, 2026. It passed by a 5-4 vote during a special meeting after years of debate and public consultation.
What does this mean for Landords, Investors and residents of Kitchener? While this provides a somewhat added layer of protection for tenants, it will be costly and require an increase in property taxes to cover administration. Given the already low level of renovictions occurring (approximately 60 per year) in a city of well over 300,000 people, it’s easy to understand why council was split down the middle on this vote. Let’s explore further, what this new bylaw involves.
What is a “renoviction”?
A renoviction happens when a landlord issues an N13 notice (under Ontario’s provincial Residential Tenancies Act) to evict tenants for “repairs or renovations” that supposedly require the unit to be vacant. In bad-faith cases, the real goal is often to remove tenants so the landlord can re-rent the unit at a much higher rate (or sell it). According to ACORN (a local tenant advocacy group) this has become a growing issue in Kitchener and the Waterloo Region amid tight rental supply and rising rents.
What does the new bylaw actually do?
It adds a local licensing requirement on top of the provincial rules. Landlords can no longer simply issue an N13 notice and force a tenant out for renovations. Instead:
They must first apply for and obtain a per-unit licence from the City of Kitchener.
The licence fee is $650 per unit.
To get the licence, landlords must submit documentation such as:
Building permits
A professional assessment confirming the unit genuinely needs to be vacant for the work
The city will review applications, conduct inspections if needed, and enforce compliance.
Fines can be issued for non-compliance.
The goal is to act as a “filter” — verifying that renovations are legitimate before a tenant is displaced — while still allowing good-faith repairs to proceed.
Important limitations:
The bylaw does not require landlords to pay tenants extra compensation (e.g., moving costs, rent-gap top-ups, or temporary housing). Housing advocates pushed hard for these stronger protections (similar to Waterloo’s bylaw), but those amendments were defeated.
It only applies to renovations that require the tenant to vacate (N13 cases). Minor work that can be done with the tenant in place is unaffected.
When does it take effect?
Official start date: January 1, 2027
The city has said it could come into force as early as September 1, 2026, once staffing and systems are ready.
Background and context
In 2023–2024, Kitchener saw roughly 57–60 N13 renoviction filings per year.
Similar bylaws already exist in Waterloo (recently passed), Hamilton, London, and Toronto. Hamilton reportedly saw an ~80% drop in N13 filings after implementing theirs.
The bylaw will cost the city over $300,000 initially (two new full-time staff + administration), partly covered by licence fees and a very small property-tax impact (about $1.50 per average household).
For Landlords and Investors
This is a municipal bylaw only — it doesn’t change the provincial Residential Tenancies Act or Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) processes, but it adds an extra local hurdle before an N13 can be used effectively.
For the most up-to-date or official text, check the City of Kitchener’s website or the EngageWR page (engagewr.ca/renoviction-bylaw), as the full bylaw document is still being finalized post-approval.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/kitchener-council-approves-new-renoviction-bylaw/
https://acorncanada.org/locations/waterloo-acorn/
