Ottawa’s New Rental Renovation Licence By-law Adds Another Layer to the N13 Process

soloontario
By soloontario

On July 15, 2026, Ottawa City Council approved a new Rental Renovation Licence By-law that will come into force on January 1, 2027. While the City has referred to it as its “Renovictions By-law,” landlords should understand that this is not a change to Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Instead, it creates a new municipal licensing process that landlords must follow in addition to the existing provincial requirements.

For small landlords, this means that obtaining an eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is no longer the only process to navigate when an N13 notice is required in Ottawa. A new layer of municipal compliance has now been added.

What Will Landlords Be Required to Do?

Beginning January 1, 2027, landlords who intend to issue an N13 Notice to End Tenancy for renovations or repairs must first obtain the required building permit before serving the notice.

At the time the N13 is served, landlords must also provide tenants with a City-produced Eviction Education Guide, outlining tenant rights and the applicable process.

Within seven days of issuing the N13 notice, landlords must then apply to the City of Ottawa for a Rental Renovation Licence.

To obtain the licence, landlords must submit:

  • information about the tenancy;
  • details describing the scope of the proposed renovation;
  • confirmation that the City’s Eviction Education Guide was provided to the tenant;
  • a copy of the N13 notice; and
  • the building permit number associated with the work.

Failure to comply with these municipal requirements could create additional complications for landlords attempting to complete legitimate renovations.

The Provincial Process Has Not Changed

One of the most important points for landlords is that the City’s licence does not replace the Residential Tenancies Act.

Even after obtaining a municipal licence, landlords must continue to follow every requirement under Ontario law.

Where required, landlords must still apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board and obtain an eviction order before a tenant can legally be required to vacate the unit.

The City cannot authorize an eviction, and receiving a municipal licence does not guarantee that the LTB will grant an eviction order.

Why Is Ottawa Introducing This By-law?

According to the City, the purpose of the new licensing system is to improve oversight of renovation-related evictions by ensuring that renovations requiring vacant possession are supported by valid building permits and that tenants receive information explaining their legal rights.

The City also intends to collect information about renovation-related evictions, licensing activity, enforcement, and compliance to evaluate whether the by-law achieves its objectives.

Council Is Already Considering Additional Requirements

Although the by-law has only recently been approved, Ottawa City Council has already directed staff to review whether additional measures should be introduced in the future.

Among the items that staff have been directed to consider are:

  • requiring an independent qualified professional to certify that vacant possession is necessary before an N13 notice is issued;
  • requiring landlords to provide temporary accommodation or financial compensation while renovations are underway;
  • reviewing trends involving N5 and N12 notices;
  • analyzing licence processing timelines and application delays;
  • tracking repeat applications involving the same landlords or properties;
  • reviewing enforcement actions, operating costs, and privacy impacts; and
  • determining whether the by-law has reduced unlawful renovation-related evictions.

These measures have not been adopted. They will be considered during a future review of the by-law and would require additional Council approval before taking effect.

A Broader Rental Housing Strategy May Be Coming

Council also directed staff to examine broader municipal regulation of rental housing.

Future reviews may consider:

  • an apartment building licensing program;
  • a public building-rating system similar to Toronto’s RentSafeTO program;
  • additional compliance and enforcement tools for repeat offenders; and
  • using data collected through Ottawa’s Problematic Properties Pilot to identify landlords or properties that may require increased inspections or monitoring.

While none of these proposals are currently law, they demonstrate that Ottawa is considering a much broader municipal role in regulating rental housing.

What This Means for Small Landlords

For Ottawa landlords, the immediate takeaway is clear: if you intend to issue an N13 notice after January 1, 2027, there will be additional municipal requirements that must be completed before and after serving the notice.

For landlords across Ontario, this by-law may represent a broader trend.

Over the past several years, municipalities have increasingly introduced local licensing programs, property standards initiatives, and rental housing regulations that operate alongside provincial legislation. While the Residential Tenancies Act remains the governing legislation for tenancy terminations, municipal governments continue to explore ways to regulate aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship through local by-laws.

Whether other municipalities follow Ottawa’s lead remains to be seen. However, landlords should pay close attention, as municipal regulation of rental housing continues to expand across Ontario.

 

References and Additional Resources

City of Ottawa

Province of Ontario

Landlord Resources

 

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