Protesters rally at city hall as politicians debate ‘renoviction’ bylaw

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More than a dozen Londoners and tenant advocates rallied outside city hall on Monday, demanding city politicians approve tougher bylaws against so-called renovictions than the one now proposed by city staff.

The demonstration took place ahead of a city council committee meeting on Monday at which politicians were set to debate a new bylaw targeting bad-faith evictions by landlords who critics say use renovations as an excuse to turf long-term tenants, allowing them to jack up the rent for the next one.

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“This is an urgent and life-altering crisis that needs to be addressed,” said demonstrator Sharon Hodgson, who lives at 1270 Webster St., one of two apartment buildings that have become poster-child cases for local renovictions.

Hodgson says her apartment was renovated before she moved in seven years ago. But she and her neighbours have faced stress since last year when a new owner bought the northeast London building and issued N13 eviction notices to all tenants.

An N13 under the Residential Tenancies Act of Ontario allows a landlord to force a tenant out to allow for repairs or renovations. While tenants can return at the same rent once renovations are done, the amount of time the work takes can leave them with no option but to find a new home, effectively forcing them to move out – and allowing the owner to hike the rent on the next tenant.

Tension at 1270 Webster has flared for months. Hodgson says more than 20 times, water to the apartments has been shut off for a day. An active listing for a two-bedroom apartment in Hodgson’s building asks for $1,799 per month, double what she pays for her unit.

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Included in London’s proposed bylaw:

• Landlords must get a $400 licence within seven days of the work
• An affidavit is required from the person who gave the tenant the N13
• Approval from an engineer or architect that the repairs or renovations are so extensive, they require a vacancy

Some housing advocates argue the proposal isn’t strong enough to deter bad-faith landlords from evicting tenants.

“It seems to me that the housing crisis in London is so bad that city council feels pressured to do something,” said Nawton Chiles, a London member of the tenants’ rights group ACORN.

“And that’s all this bylaw, in its current state, is, ‘something;’ it doesn’t have teeth. It’s just so that city council can say that they did something to help tenants even if it doesn’t meaningfully help.”

He said the proposed fees for permits could easily be recouped by landlords once they successfully evict long-term tenants.

More importantly, Chiles said, the bylaw doesn’t offer any protection for tenants, such as making landlords offer accommodation to people being forced from their units during the work or financial compensation.

jjuha@postmedia.com

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