City/County Councillor Bill Dennis is drawing attention to the "unsavory" practice of 'renovictions', where landlords evict tenants under the pretense of completing renovations.
During Monday's council meeting, Dennis proposed that the city introduce a renoviction bylaw to protect vulnerable tenants.
"I was told people on Brenchley (Street) are still out of their units since [2023], three years waiting on renovations. There are five of these situations happening across different communities, and I'm told by the same owner," claimed Dennis. "The one that caught my attention is occurring on Exmouth (Street) right now. Some tenants have been there for over 20 years."
Dennis referenced the bylaw passed in London last year as an example for the city to consider.
"If a landlord is doing nothing wrong, there should be no problem," Dennis said.
Chatham-Kent council also met Monday night to discuss measures to protect renters, after Terrace Forty tenants were told to leave in order to deal with asbestos in the Chatham building.
"I do thank the landlords out there that are doing right by their tenants," Dennis said. "However, sadly, I do think we need this proposed bylaw to lessen the potential harm to our often most vulnerable citizens in the case of renovictions."
Councillor Adam Kilner supported Dennis' motion, but wanted to see a full-scale report from staff before making a final decision.
Councillor Anne Marie Gillis noted that there is a process in place for landlords to carry out renovations.
"But it's this whole idea of everybody has to get out and you're on your own... and that's where the problem lies," said Gillis. "The last thing we want to see is people on the street. We're trying to find homes for people. So just to let you know, here is a process in place but it has to go one step forward."
City/County Councillor Brian White said he hoped the provincial government would have stepped in to keep rules consistent across Ontario, a sentiment Mayor Mike Bradley agreed with.
"I intend to write a letter to the province, asking them to fix the legislation, which Councillor White pointed out, they've had the opportunity to fix it," said Bradley. "In the case of London and Hamilton, by passing the bylaw, they're adding six to eight staff to enforce and to monitor. That's why you need a deep dive on how we can do this here, in smaller communities."
Bradley said he will bring a motion to the next council meeting, scheduled for March 9, to send a letter to the Ford government.
Council unanimously passed a motion to have staff report back in 60 days on the proposed renoviction bylaw.
