The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is inviting residents to share their feedback on renovictions as it considers a proposed bylaw addressing the issue.
Officials have launched a public survey through the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent platform as part of the consultation process.
“Share your feedback on ‘Renovictions’ on Let’s Talk,” the municipality said in a statement.
Renoviction is described as a situation in which a landlord evicts a tenant to complete renovations and then re-rents the unit at a higher rate without meeting the legal obligation to allow the original tenant to return.
“These cases often raise concerns that the landlord may be acting in bad faith and using the renovation as a pretext for an unlawful termination of the tenancy,” the municipality said. “However, not all such evictions involve bad faith.”
The municipality noted that some rental properties may require significant repairs or upgrades after years of use, and in certain cases, those renovations may require a unit to be temporarily vacant.
“As part of the development of a proposed by-law for Chatham-Kent, we are consulting with tenant advocacy groups, landlord representatives, housing experts, and municipalities that have already implemented a by-law relating to renovictions and now we need your input,” the statement said.
Residents can complete the survey online through the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website.
