Mississauga City Council has approved a new "renoviction" by-law — formally, the Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law — aimed at stopping landlords from misusing renovations as an excuse to push tenants out. If you own a rental property in the city, or you rent one, here's a plain-English read on what it does and when it kicks in.
What a "renoviction" actually is
A renoviction is when a landlord uses the N13 notice process under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act to end a tenancy, claiming the unit has to be empty for repairs or renovations — but does so improperly, or as a pretext to turn over a rent-controlled unit. The N13 is a real, legal notice issued through the Landlord and Tenant Board, and there are legitimate reasons to use it. The problem the City is targeting is its misuse — which tends to happen when a landlord doesn't follow the required process, and a tenant doesn't know their rights.
What Mississauga's by-law changes
Two things sit at the heart of it. First, landlords who want to evict a tenant to renovate will need to obtain a licence and follow the N13 process correctly — or face fines. Second, the City will put clear information in front of tenants about the rights they already have but may not know to use.
Chief among those rights: a tenant renovicted for major work generally has the right to move back in once it's done — and to pay only the rent increase that would have been legally allowed before the renovation, not a fresh market rent. The by-law doesn't create that right; it makes sure tenants know it exists and that landlords honour it.
On process: to end a tenancy for renovations, a landlord must give the tenant the N13 form at least 120 days before the tenancy ends. That's a firm legal requirement, not a courtesy — and it's exactly the kind of step the licensing regime is designed to enforce.
The dates that matter
Council passed the by-law on April 1, 2026, but it does not come into force until September 1, 2026. The City has said the landlord licensing process and the tenant-facing materials will be published on its site over the summer. In other words, there's a window between now and September for owners to get familiar with the rules before they apply.
If you own a rental in Mississauga
This isn't a reason to panic, but it is a reason to be precise. A few practical steps:
- Plan around the licence. If a genuine renovation will require the unit to be vacant, expect to apply for a licence and document why the work needs an empty unit. Build that into your timeline.
- Follow the N13 to the letter. Serve the correct form, give the full 120 days' notice, and keep records. Shortcuts are what the by-law is built to catch.
- Honour the tenant's right of return. If the tenant has asked to move back, they can — at the rent they were paying plus only the increase that was legally allowed. Price your pro forma with that in mind, not a market re-rent.
- Get professional guidance. For anything contentious, a licensed paralegal or a lawyer who works in landlord-tenant matters is money well spent before you serve notice, not after.
If you rent in Mississauga
The single most important thing: an N13 is not an automatic eviction. If you receive one, you're entitled to proper notice (at least 120 days), you may be entitled to compensation, and for buildings above a certain size you generally have the right to return after the work at your previous rent plus the legal increase. Don't move out simply because a notice arrived — the Landlord and Tenant Board decides these matters, and free tenant-support resources exist to help you understand your options.
Where this fits — and what we're watching
Mississauga joins a small but growing group of Ontario municipalities tightening the rules around renovation-based evictions. For investors who buy across the GTA, the takeaway is that the "rules of the game" now vary by city — and a renovation strategy that works in one municipality may carry extra steps, costs, or restrictions in another. It's the kind of local detail that belongs in your numbers before you buy, not after.
We'll keep an eye on whether Durham-area municipalities — Ajax, Whitby, Pickering and their neighbours — move in a similar direction, and update our clients if they do.
This article is general information about a City of Mississauga by-law, drawn from the City's published materials, and is not legal advice. The by-law comes into force September 1, 2026, and the City's licensing process and tenant resources are still being finalized, so specifics may change. For advice about your own situation, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board, a licensed paralegal or lawyer, or the City of Mississauga at 311.