City of Kitchener moves forward with plans to create a renoviction bylaw

Could a new bylaw help defend Kitchener renters from falling victim to bad-faith landlords?

The issue of renovictions in Kitchener was front and centre in council chambers on Monday night as a dozen delegates pleaded with city council to move forward with a bylaw.

Renovictions take place when a landlord evicts a tenant by claiming they will complete renovations, which range from complete overhauls to a simple paint job. The price of the unit will often increase, sometimes dramatically, when the landlord begins to search for a new tenant.

Renoviction bylaws have recently been implemented in London and Hamilton.

A number of Kitchener residents are in full support of the bylaw, along with Waterloo Region ACORN, a community union of low and moderate-income residents who stand up for renters against bad-faith landlords.

“Kitchener is my hometown and current residence, I’ve now lived here over half my life,” explained Erin Cooper, a delegate at Monday’s meeting. “I moved back in January of 2021 after being priced out of Toronto, and I am so glad I moved back when I did, because rent has increased to a point that I am getting priced out of Kitchener.”

Residents at Monday’s meeting and at a committee meeting last week shared their experiences with landlords who have evicted them or their neighbours to perform renovations and subsequently raised the price of rent.

Some councillors were unanimously in favour of helping Kitchener residents avoid bad-faith evictions, but others were unconvinced that the municipal level of government could effectively enact change in this fight.

“We want something that will actually work,” said Councillor Bil Ioannidis. “To me, we’re doing a bylaw just to be people-pleasers. That’s not going to stop any of the harassment, and those unscrupulous landlords are already being punished; they’re already losing at the (Landlord and Tenant Board).”

Councillors, including Ioannidis, urged residents to advocate for change at the provincial level.

“It is difficult to hear this and feel like you want to do something,” said Councillor Dave Schneider. “I just hope that you’re expectations are managed because what you’re asking to end can’t be dealt with with this renoviction bylaw.”

Council passed a motion to move forward with the creation of the bylaw, with Councillors Schneider, Ioannidis, and Scott Davey voting in opposition.

The implementation of a renoviction bylaw will still take time. City staff will begin the process of hiring a consultant who will aid in the creation of the bylaw at a cost of approximately $150,000.

“Engaging a consultant will provide independent, specialized expertise and allow staff to advance this initiative without compromising existing work plans,” said city staff in the renoviction bylaw report.

It’s also believed that when it comes time to implement the bylaw, it could take one to three full-time staff to ensure its operation.

Staff will report back on the progress of this bylaw in the first quarter of 2026.

City of Waterloo council also passed a motion on Monday night that will see their staff research renoviction bylaws in neighbouring communities with the purpose of building a framework for a future bylaw of its own.