July 17, 2026 Newsletter

Creating a city where everyone has access to safe, affordable, and secure housing requires more than building new homes. It also means protecting the affordable rental housing we already have and ensuring that renters are treated fairly. That is why I supported Ottawa's recently adopted Rental Renovation Licence By-law this week at Council and why I welcome other measures that help improve affordability for tenants across our city.

The new by-law represents an important step forward in protecting residents from unfair displacement. For many tenants, the prospect of receiving notice to vacate their home for major renovations can be stressful and uncertain. While legitimate building repairs and upgrades are sometimes necessary, renovations should never be used as a pretext to permanently displace tenants from their communities. This practice is often called "renoviction," where landlords force out long-term residents under the guise of minor upgrades only to re-rent the unit at a significantly higher price.

The City's new rules, also known as the "Renoviction By-law," introduce greater transparency and accountability into the renovation process through a set of clear, enforceable requirements. Landlords must now obtain a rental renovation licence from the City within seven days of serving a tenant an N13 eviction notice for repairs or renovations, and they must already hold the required building permits before doing so. They are also required to submit property and scope-of-work details to the City and to provide affected tenants with an official eviction education guide outlining their rights. Importantly, existing provincial protections continue to apply: under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, landlords must give tenants at least 120 days' notice, and tenants retain the right of first refusal to return to their unit at their original rent once renovations are complete.

Together, these measures will help ensure that landlords comply with existing tenant protections, provide clear information to residents about their rights, and demonstrate that renovations requiring vacant possession are legitimate. 

I have heard from many residents throughout Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward who are concerned about housing affordability. Seniors, families, newcomers, students, and people living on fixed incomes often have few affordable alternatives if they lose their housing. When long-term tenants are displaced, entire neighbourhoods can lose important social connections and affordable units can disappear from Ottawa's housing inventory.

The Renoviction By-law is therefore a critical part of a broader strategy to strengthen housing affordability. Protecting tenants from unfair displacement must go hand-in-hand with efforts to increase housing supply, expand affordable housing options, and reduce homelessness. The new by-law takes effect on January 1, 2027, providing time to develop the licensing program and to produce education materials for landlords and tenants, including the eviction education guide. For complete details on enforcement, resources, or to file a complaint, residents can visit the Rental Renovation Licence By-law Review page on the Engage Ottawa website.

During this Term, Council also demonstrated its growing commitment to improving affordability for renters by approving the gradual reduction of the property tax ratio applied to older multi-residential apartment buildings. For decades, many apartment buildings were taxed at a significantly higher rate than other residential properties, creating an inequity that ultimately affected renters.

As a result of Council's decision, approximately 70 per cent of Ottawa renters living in eligible apartment buildings constructed before 2002 will benefit from automatic rent reductions beginning this year. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, tax reductions above 2.5 per cent must be passed on to tenants through a corresponding rent reduction. For many households, this will provide welcome financial relief at a time when housing costs remain a significant challenge.

For example, a tenant paying $2,000 per month in rent could see an estimated automatic rent reduction of approximately $16 per month, or $192 annually, beginning in 2026. As the tax ratio continues to be reduced over the coming years, the cumulative savings for renters are expected to grow substantially.

These changes will have a meaningful impact in Rideau-Rockcliffe. According to City statistics, 84 eligible multi-residential properties containing an estimated 3,536 rental units are located in our ward. Thousands of local residents could therefore benefit directly from these tax fairness measures in the years ahead.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate that improving housing affordability requires action on multiple fronts. We must build more housing, preserve existing affordable rental homes, protect tenants from unfair displacement, and pursue policies that reduce housing costs wherever possible.

While no single policy can solve Ottawa's housing challenges, the Renoviction By-law and the renter tax fairness initiative both represent meaningful progress. They reflect a commitment to ensuring that renters are treated fairly, that affordable housing is protected, and that Ottawa remains a city where people of all incomes can find and keep a place to call home.

As your Councillor, I will continue advocating for practical solutions that strengthen tenant protections, expand housing options, and improve affordability for residents in Rideau-Rockcliffe and across Ottawa. Together, we will continue to build a city that is more affordable, inclusive, and livable for everyone.