Tenants of 146-170 Osgoode St vs Renovictions

Larry Newman

That’s the title of a Facebook page recently created — www.facebook.com/OsgoodeStRenovictions/.

What the heck is “renoviction”? Apparently it has been coined by tenants to describe the process in which the owner of the Osgoode property decided to evict the current tenants in order to upgrade the property to a higher standard—and receive higher rent. These buildings are rooming houses and room rent is in the range of $500/month. Rental housing is extremely tight in Ottawa and a tenant organization has formed (osgoodestrenovictions@gmail.com) to protest this eviction. The owner’s deadline to leave is October 31, 2020.

Tenants have been offered three options:

•  Leave and take a cheque for 12 times the monthly rent plus funds to use for a deposit in a new room.

•  Leave and take a cheque for 3 times the monthly rent and the owner will help find a new place, help furnish, and help move

•  Refuse to leave and the owner will take the matter to the Landlord and Tenant Board.

The Tenant Association has delivered a three page list of demands to the owner, 146 Osgoode Street Holdings, Inc.  Some law professors and students from the University of Ottawa have offered to help the tenants fight their eviction notice.