By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Beginning Oct. 1, tenants in Chatham-Kent will have added protections thanks to a new municipal renoviction bylaw.
Approved unanimously at council June 22, the bylaw lays out rules landlords must follow when issuing N-13 eviction notices. It’s an attempt to halt “renovictions” – a term applied to bad-actor landlords who try to evict people under the guise of renovations so they can increase rents.
Under the bylaw, landlords must apply for a municipal permit for the proposed work and pay a $500 fee per unit. At a cost of $152,365, a licensing assistant will be hired for a 16-month contract and a public education campaign on the matter will be carried out.
The new costs will be paid for through Strategic Reserves and then referred to the 2028-31 multi-year budget.
Plus, municipal officials will also continue to advocate for change at the provincial level.
Chatham Coun. Marjorie Crew, who brought the motion forward, said the plight of residents at Terrace Forty Apartments, who faced mass renoviction earlier this year, prompted her to push for the change.
“Terrace Forty residents made me aware of how devastating these N-13 evictions could be,” Crew told fellow councillors.
“The fear and the tears were real. Their bravery and determination in the face of uncertainty, worried about their homes, worried about where they were going to go, they didn’t know what was next,” Crew added, noting the bylaw will help vulnerable people remain in their homes. “You really inspired me.”
Crew said a great deal of behind-the-scenes work went into the bylaw, including from the Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic, particularly from housing stability worker Jeff Wilkins.
“This bylaw will help protect important housing stock and the people who depend upon it,” she said. “This covers gaps that have been used to misuse the N-13.”
Chatham Coun. Alysson Storey, who supported Crew’s motion, thank her for bringing the issue to council.
Storey, who serves with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said she reached out to communities across Ontario for input on the subject.
“The gap is clear,” Storey said. “The provincial legislation is in place but it just hasn’t been enacted yet. I’m not sure why that is. But right now, we are in the unenviable position to figure it out ourselves. And that’s what we’re doing with this work.”
Deputy chief administrative officer Dave Taylor stressed that some N-13 evictions are legitimate as rental properties do need to be upgraded periodically.
“I just want to be clear,” he said. “Not all renovations are renovictions. It’s important that we differentiate that language.”
In the run-up to the bylaw, the municipality gleaned public feedback from both tenants and landlords, noting officials tried to incorporate all viewpoints when drafting the new rules.
