A Chatham-Kent councillor is pushing for changes to protect renters facing eviction through so-called renovictions.
Ward 6 Councillor Marjorie Crew put forth a notice of motion at the January 26 council meeting for council to vote on creating a bylaw to require landlords to provide proof that renovations are necessary.
“We are not trying to change the law, we’re just trying to add on some protections for the tenants that may be impacted by the loss of their residence,” said Crew.
Currently landlords or property owners can provide renters with an N13 notice to end tenancy when they plan on demolishing or extensively renovating the property. Renters are given 120 days’ notice and landlords must obtain all necessary building permits and approvals.
Crew tells CKXS News that her motion was spurred by recent events tenants are experiencing at Terrace Forty in Chatham.
Residents at the Witherspoon Street building were informed of their eviction by their new landlords, who informed tenants of a plan to remove asbestos in the building. Crew hopes a new bylaw would require owners to prove the necessity of doing a renovation like this.
“It’s just an added layer to the N13 process,” said Crew. “So that we know when someone tries to evict people because of renovations it’s not something being done in bad faith to just increase rent…When you’re saying you need to evict everyone from 40 units because you’re doing some renovations to the kitchen and floors, I don’t think that is something that is probably being done in good faith.”
Crew’s motion will go before council at the February 9 meeting at the Civic Centre.
