Kitchener moves to draft renoviction bylaw, Waterloo looking at implementing safeguards

Kitchener city council directed staff to start drafting a renoviction bylaw Monday.

A host of delegates presented their case to council for why they should take this path, describing the mental and financial insecurity these types of evictions can cause.

The push is to end bad-faith evictions as a result of a landlord's need or desire to renovate, thus keeping residents in apartments they can afford and cutting down on rising rental costs across the board. Similar bylaws have been introduced in London and Hamilton this year.

Erin Cooper was one of the delegates to go before Kitchener council on Monday and is a member of ACORN, a community group focused on the fight against evictions due to renovations. She told council members that she's been renovicted twice.

"I may not be struggling to survive, but I'm struggling to get ahead each time I have been forced to move," she said.

"After being priced out of Toronto, I'm so glad I moved back when I did because rent has increased to a point that I am getting priced out of Kitchener," she said.

Councillors were divided on the matter, with those in support saying it would be an effective tool to curb bad-faith evictions, while those opposed say there's no proof it would work.

"It does not have the teeth required or the evidence behind it for me to be able to support it at this time," said Coun. Scott Davey.

He said similar bylaws in other municipalities are still too new and aren't able to show a measurable decrease in the number of renovictions just yet.

"It's one of those issues where it's a terrible thing to say to wait, but again, I feel like we're jumping the gun here," he said.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic agrees this wouldn't be a cure-all, but he still believes a renoviction bylaw is something city staff need to start drafting either way.

He said there's still a lot of work and recommendations ahead, but "if nothing else, if this helps bring people some peace of mind, some hope that there is some support for them, then for me that is worthwhile."

In a recorded vote, council members voted 6-3 in favour of directing staff to begin drafting a renoviction bylaw, with two councillors abstaining.

A draft of the bylaw is expected to be presented in the first quarter of 2026.

Waterloo to consider renovation license program

Waterloo council had similar discussions at its meeting Monday.

Despite city staff suggesting not to pursue a renoviction bylaw due to legal uncertainties and a lack of evidence of its effectiveness from other municipalities, council has directed them to develop the framework for a potential renovation license program.

Staff suggested avoiding the language "renoviction bylaw" in favour of "renovation license program" for legal reasons.

Elliot Wand is a renter is a member of ACORN Waterloo region. In his delegation before Waterloo council, he expressed his disagreement with city staff.

"We are quite disappointed to see staff recommend against moving forward with rent eviction bylaws," he said, adding, "renovictions are one of the most widespread and exploitative forms of tenant displacement that we see."

"Landlords claim they need to do major repairs but then once the tenants leave they can up the rents or leave the units empty."

As a part of Ontario's Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act (2023), landlords that provide eviction notices because of renovation work requiring an empty unit must also provide a report by a qualified professional stating that to be the case.

Councillors in Waterloo were concerned any renoviction bylaw they draft would simply double up on what Bill 97 already prescribed. 

But Councillor Royce Bodaly said there has been an absence of leadership from the province on this matter.

"The province has abdicated its responsibilities here and it's surreptitiously…downloading to municipalities these impacts, that are financial," he said.

Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe said, "I just want to remind us that we are doing a lot and we've done a good job but I just worry that if we do anything, it repeats work we've already done or the province has already done."

Council voted in favour of a recommendation to direct staff to create the framework for a renoviction bylaw. That could be presented as early as October 2025.