Renoviction Centre

Renovation, demolition, or conversion — the claims can be tested

A landlord who wants a unit empty for renovations, demolition, or a change of use has legal requirements to meet in Ontario — and tenants have rights that survive the notice, including compensation in certain cases and, for renovations, a possible right to return. This centre helps you understand the claims and document everything.

Understand your notice Find legal help

OntarioLast reviewed: 2026-07-15

Start with the claim

Which claim is on your notice?

These situations often arrive on the same form (an N13), but the claim being made — and the questions worth asking — differ. Each pathway below explains the stages, dates, evidence, and questions in detail.

Renovation requiring vacancy

The claim: the work is so extensive the unit must be empty. Key questions: does the work genuinely require vacancy, are there permits, and how do you protect your right to return?

Demolition

The claim: the unit or building will be torn down. Key questions: is the plan genuine, do municipal approvals exist, and was compensation addressed?

Conversion to another use

The claim: the unit will become something other than rental housing. Key questions: is the new use real, is it allowed here, and was compensation addressed?

Whichever claim you received: the notice does not end your tenancy by itself. In most cases only an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board can do that, and only the sheriff can enforce it. See the Eviction Centre for the full process.

Deadlines run quietly in the background

Renoviction situations involve several time-sensitive steps — the dates on the notice itself, steps that protect the right to return, and time limits for any later application if the stated work never happens. The exact requirements change and depend on your situation, so confirm them with the LTB or a legal professional early, and add every date you know to the Deadline Tracker.

What Ontario law provides

Rights that survive the notice

These protections exist under Ontario law. Their exact requirements, amounts, and timelines depend on your situation and can change — confirm the current rules with the LTB or a legal professional before relying on them.

Permits can be checked

Major renovations and demolitions normally need building permits. Tenants may ask whether permits were actually obtained — and municipal building departments hold permit records you can look up for your address. A claimed renovation with no permit activity is worth reviewing with a professional.

Compensation exists in certain cases

Ontario law provides compensation to tenants in certain renovation, demolition, and conversion situations. The amounts and conditions are set by law and depend on factors like the type of claim and the building — no figure here would be reliable, so confirm current requirements with the LTB or a legal professional.

A right to return may apply to renovations

Where a unit must be vacated for repairs or renovations, tenants may have a right of first refusal — the right to move back in when the work is done, at a rent the rules protect. Protecting this generally involves giving the landlord written notice of your intention to return and keeping your contact details current. Confirm the exact steps before you move out.

Some municipalities add rules

Some Ontario municipalities have passed additional renoviction bylaws — requirements landlords must meet locally on top of provincial law. These vary from city to city and change over time, so check directly with your municipality about whether a renoviction bylaw applies at your address.

Re-listing can be evidence

If your former unit reappears on rental sites after a renoviction — especially quickly, or at a much higher rent — that can matter. Keep dated screenshots of any listing, the asking rent, and the photos used, and store them with notes in the Evidence Vault. A professional can advise what remedies may exist and their time limits.

Moving costs are worth tracking

Moving trucks, storage, overlap rent, utility setup, time off work — record every cost with receipts in the Expense Tracker. Whether any of it is recoverable depends on your situation, but an unrecorded cost is never recoverable.

Do this on paper or in the Evidence Vault

Two records worth building this week

Neither of these requires any special tool — a notebook, your phone camera, and the Evidence Vault are enough. What matters is that everything is dated and kept.

Permit information record

Write down exactly what work the landlord says will be done, in whose words, and on what date you were told.
Ask the landlord, in writing, whether building permits have been obtained and for which work. Keep your question and any answer.
Contact your municipal building department and ask how to look up permits for your address — municipalities hold permit records, and tenants may ask about them.
Record what you find: permit numbers, descriptions, and dates — or a dated note that no permit was found when you checked.
Photograph any permit notices posted on or around the building, with the date visible or noted.
Store everything in the Evidence Vault and add the key dates to your Timeline.

Intention-to-return record

Tell the landlord in writing that you intend to return to the unit after the work — Ontario law ties return rights to steps like this, and the exact requirements should be confirmed with the LTB or a legal professional.
Keep a copy of that written notice and proof of how and when you delivered it (email timestamp, photo of a letter, receipt).
Give the landlord a reliable address, email, and phone number where you can be reached, in writing, and update them if they change.
Record your current rent and keep your lease and recent rent receipts — the right to return is generally tied to the same rent.
Photograph the unit thoroughly before you leave: every room, fixtures, and condition.
After moving, check periodically whether the unit is re-listed. Save dated screenshots of any listing, especially the asking rent, in the Evidence Vault.

These records do not decide anything by themselves — they make sure that whatever a professional or the LTB later needs to see actually exists, with dates attached.

Practical toolkit

Turn a renoviction into an organized file

Every tool below feeds the same goal: a dated, complete record you can bring to a clinic, paralegal, or lawyer — or to a hearing.

This is legal information, not legal advice. RTO Pro is not a law firm. Deadlines and exceptions may apply to your situation — a qualified legal professional should confirm anything important before you rely on it.

Renovation, demolition, or conversion — the claims can be tested