Toronto to clamp down on 'renovictions' this summer and here are the details

Toronto City Council has launched a public education campaign to remind homeowners and renters that its new "renoviction" bylaw will come into effect this summer in an attempt to "protect tenants from bad faith evictions."

According to a release issued by the city, the Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw, which was proposed back in the fall and will come into effect on July 31, 2025, requires landlords to obtain a licence before "starting repairs or renovations that require tenants to move out of their rental units under the Provincial N13 process."

Created to protect tenants from so-called "renovictions," when a tenant is evicted from their home under pretences of renovations by a landlord, this bylaw attempts to add more protections for renters.

"The bylaw is designed to protect tenants from bad faith evictions, preserve Toronto's affordable rental housing and establish a transparent and equitable process for landlords to complete necessary renovations responsibly," reads the release.

Once in effect, the bylaw will present new "protections" to tenants, including a "moving allowance that changes depending on the unit size and comes in at $1,500 for a studio or one-bedroom."

Tenant rights under the law stipulate that a landlord must apply for a Rental Renovation Licence through the N13 process, providing tenants with the option to return to the unit after renovations are completed or not.

If a tenant does return, the bylaw states landlords cannot "charge more than the same legal rent they could charge tenants if the tenancy had continued without interruption," and must provide either temporary or comparable housing at a similar rent, plus provide compensation for moving expenses.

If a tenant decides not to return to the unit after renovations, the landlord must provide "severance compensation equal to three months of rent-gap payments," and provide compensation for moving.

Additionally, the landlord must provide a one-time moving expense, regardless of whether the tenant returns or not. Those rates are currently sitting at $1,500 for a studio or one-bedroom and $2,500 for a two-or-more-bedroom unit.

"The Rental Renovation Licence Bylaw does not override or delay the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) process. It works alongside the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) to ensure fairness and transparency," according to the city's release.