Mississauga Bylaw Changes: What Landlords Need to Know About Renovations and Repairs

Mississauga landlords, a significant regulatory shift is now in force. Since September 1, 2026, the City's Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law 0039-2026 has added a municipal licensing framework for major repairs and renovations involving an N13 notice. For anyone managing rental properties in Mississauga, the bylaw creates concrete obligations that affect how you plan, fund, and communicate around repairs and renovations.

This analysis explains the rules now in force, including licensing timelines and tenant-protection obligations, how City enforcement works alongside the Landlord and Tenant Board, and why Mississauga is part of a broader Ontario trend toward municipal renoviction regulation. It also outlines the financial and operational implications and the practical steps landlords should take now. Whether you are actively planning a renovation or monitoring Ontario landlord requirements, this development warrants your attention.

What By-law 0039-2026 Is and Why Mississauga Passed It

Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law 0039-2026 was approved by Mississauga City Council on April 1, 2026, and took effect on September 1, 2026. It directly targets the practice known as "renoviction," a term that describes landlords using N13 notices under the Ontario *Residential Tenancies Act* to permanently displace tenants under the pretext of major repairs or renovations, then re-renting units at higher market rates.

The N13 mechanism remains available when qualifying repairs genuinely require vacant possession. Before the municipal rules took effect, the provincial process had no Mississauga licensing checkpoint tied to the notice. The City framework now adds a licence, tenant-information steps and financial-support obligations before a landlord can evict a tenant or begin the work.

Between 2017 and 2023, Mississauga saw 68 N13 notices issued, placing it ninth among Ontario's top 10 cities for this activity, per CBC News reporting. That volume was the evidentiary basis Council needed. In November 2024, Council Resolution No. 0235-2024 formally initiated the bylaw process, directing staff to develop a framework that would protect tenants from bad-faith evictions while preserving landlords' ability to complete legitimate renovation work.

The Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law now adds a proactive municipal compliance layer. For N13 notices issued on or after September 1, 2026, landlords must obtain the City licence before evicting the tenant or starting the work, notify tenants of their rights and provide the required financial support. Landlords planning work in an occupied unit should build these requirements into the project plan before serving an N13.

The Specific Obligations Now Placed on Landlords

By-law 0039-2026 now imposes a structured set of obligations when a landlord serves an N13 notice for qualifying work. Each requirement has its own deadline, and missing one can create separate municipal exposure.

Licence application: within seven days. A landlord must submit the City licence application within seven days after issuing the N13. The work cannot begin and the tenant cannot be evicted until both the building permit and City licence are in place. The City's current application guidance lists the required documents and process.

Fee structure. Licence fees are scaled based on property characteristics and reach up to $600. That figure should be a line item in every renovation budget, alongside permit costs and contractor quotes. It is not large in isolation, but it arrives at the start of a project, before any cost recovery.

Tenant information and certification. After the City confirms that an application is complete, the landlord has five days to post the City's Tenant Notice on the unit door and provide the Tenant Information Package. The landlord then has five days to provide the City with the Mutual Certification Form. These steps are separate from the N13 itself.

Moving contribution payments. The landlord must pay the tenant's one-time moving contribution at least 15 days before the tenant vacates: $1,000 for a unit of 750 square feet or less, or $1,500 for a larger unit. Confirm the current requirements with the City for the specific file.

Ongoing communication. When a tenant plans to return, the landlord must provide written updates every two weeks, report changes to the estimated completion date within five days of learning about them, and notify the tenant when the unit is ready to reoccupy. Project records should capture each communication.

Temporary-accommodation support. A returning tenant may also be entitled to top-up payments based on the difference between the applicable CMHC average market rent and the rent for the unit being repaired. These payments start after applicable Residential Tenancies Act compensation is complete and are due within five days after the tenant provides proof of rent payment.

Enforcement Authority and the Role of the Landlord and Tenant Board

Meeting those obligations is only part of the compliance picture. Understanding *who enforces them* and through which authority is equally important for landlords.

Under By-law 0039-2026, City of Mississauga bylaw enforcement agents have authority, derived from section 436 of the *Municipal Act, 2001*, to inspect properties and confirm licensing compliance. This is a municipal function, entirely separate from the provincial Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

The LTB retains full, unchanged authority over tenant vacancy determinations under the *Residential Tenancies Act, 2006*. The bylaw does not override that jurisdiction; it adds a layer on top. A City spokesperson confirmed the bylaw "does not determine if a tenant has to vacate", that question remains with the LTB. What the bylaw determines is whether the landlord has met its municipal obligations in connection with that process.

Two parallel compliance tracks apply to every N13 scenario going forward:

• The LTB track governs whether a tenant is required to vacate, based on the merits of the N13 application under provincial law
• The City bylaw track governs whether the landlord has obtained the required licence, met notification obligations, and satisfied moving contribution requirements under municipal law

A failure on one track does not automatically affect the other. Non-compliance with the licensing requirement does not void an N13 at the LTB. However, it creates distinct exposure to City-level enforcement action, administrative penalties, and inspection consequences separate from the LTB outcome.

Penalty amounts and enforcement procedures are set out in the bylaw, and the related amendments to the Licensing Administrative Penalty By-law 0135-2014 took effect on September 1, 2026. Landlords should review those penalty provisions directly, or work with a property management firm experienced in Ontario municipal compliance, to understand their full exposure before serving any notice.

Careful tenant screening and placement before a unit is occupied can reduce the likelihood of reaching a contested N13 situation in the first place.

Mississauga Is Not Alone: The Ontario Renoviction Bylaw Pattern

The dual-track compliance picture in Mississauga does not exist in isolation. Six Ontario municipalities, including Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener, London, and now Mississauga, have adopted municipal renoviction prevention frameworks. This is sector-wide regulatory consolidation.

Hamilton's bylaw, adopted in January 2024, established the earliest post-Toronto implementation track record and informed the design of frameworks that followed, including Mississauga's. Ottawa's bylaw is slated to come into force January 1, 2027, confirming the trend is still expanding, not plateauing.

The volume comparison is instructive. Toronto recorded 950 N13 notices between 2017 and 2023, while Mississauga recorded 68 over the same period. The fact that municipalities well outside Toronto's scale are now legislating the same framework signals that provincial and local governments no longer treat this as a big-city problem. It is being codified as a baseline housing protection standard.

For landlords operating across multiple Ontario municipalities, this consolidation is a structural compliance shift. Investors active across Peel, York, and Durham Region will encounter structurally similar obligations city to city: licensing requirements tied to N13 notices, tenant notification steps, and mandatory financial contributions. The architecture is consistent. The specifics, including fee amounts, timelines, and procedural steps, vary by municipality and must be confirmed separately for each jurisdiction where you hold property.

The forward implication is direct: municipalities that have not yet passed such bylaws are watching active implementations. Landlords with properties outside the current six-city framework should monitor local council activity now, not after a bylaw passes.

How This Bylaw Affects Landlords Financially and Operationally

The regulatory shift across Ontario municipalities makes the pattern clear. What matters now is what By-law 0039-2026 specifically costs Mississauga landlords, in dollars and operational capacity.

Direct project costs are real and must be budgeted in advance. The licence fee alone reaches up to $600, with scaled terms of 3, 6, or 12 months depending on property characteristics. Add the mandatory one-time moving contribution payment and any accommodation support obligations, and the total cost of tenant displacement is meaningfully higher than it was before September 1, 2026. These are not optional line items; they are fixed compliance costs that belong in every renovation budget before a contractor is engaged.

The 7-day application window, already established above, means documentation must be ready before the notice is served.

Administrative burden is easy to underestimate. The bylaw requires records of tenant notification, the licence application, moving contribution payments, and ongoing renovation communications. Most small landlords do not currently maintain this level of documentation. Without a system in place before the notice is served, the paper trail becomes reactive and incomplete.

Renovation planning must change structurally. Tenant displacement and relicensing is now a formal project phase, with a fixed sequence: N13 notice, licence application within seven days, contribution payment, tenant notifications, ongoing communication. That sequence cannot be informal or improvised.

Small landlords face a legitimate tension. CBC reporting cites Boubah Bah of Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario, representing approximately 8,000 investors, noting that added process disincentivizes local real estate investment. With provincial rent increases capped at 2.1% for 2026, the cost-benefit case for renovating older rental stock narrows when compliance costs are not planned for carefully.

What Landlords Should Do Now That the Bylaw Is in Force

The financial picture is now clearer. The next step is converting that understanding into an ongoing compliance process now that the bylaw is in force.

Audit your planned renovation projects first. If a project may require vacant possession and an N13, map it against By-law 0039-2026 now. For an N13 issued on or after September 1, 2026, submit the licence application within seven days and do not evict the tenant or begin the work until the required City licence and building permit are in place.

Read the bylaw directly. The full text of Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law 0039-2026 is publicly available from the City of Mississauga. Use it to confirm three specifics for your property: the applicable licence fee based on your property type, the moving contribution amount for your unit, and the exact notification language the bylaw requires. These details vary and cannot be assumed from general summaries.

Build your tenant communication templates before you need them. Prepare templates for both required notifications (licence application and ongoing renovation updates). Preparing documented templates and a written process in advance significantly reduces the risk of procedural errors when you are working under the 7-day licence application deadline.

Budget compliance costs as a project line item. Licence fees of up to $600, mandatory moving contributions, and potential accommodation support are not incidental; they are fixed costs for any Mississauga renovation project requiring tenant displacement going forward.

Get professional support if the complexity warrants it. For landlords managing multiple properties or navigating their first major renovation under this framework, working with a property management firm that understands Ontario's municipal bylaw landscape reduces both compliance risk and administrative burden. Atalla Group's renovation coordination and property management services are built to support exactly this kind of regulatory navigation across Ontario.

Key Takeaways for Mississauga Landlords

With preparation steps mapped out, the essential facts are worth stating plainly before you move forward.

By-law 0039-2026 took effect on September 1, 2026. The licence requirements apply to N13 notices issued on or after that date, and City licensing and enforcement are now active.

The seven-day application window is a key compliance trigger. Assemble the required documents before serving the N13 so the City application can be submitted on time.

Budget compliance costs before engaging contractors. Depending on the work period, the City licence is $150 for three months, $300 for six months or $600 for 12 months, in addition to moving contributions and any applicable top-up payments.

This bylaw is not a local policy experiment. Mississauga joins Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener, and London in adopting this framework. Landlords holding rental properties across multiple Ontario municipalities should treat this as a consolidating provincial standard. Further municipal adoption is likely; monitoring local council activity is a practical part of portfolio management now.

The landlords best positioned under this framework are those who read the bylaw as a process guide, not a penalty threat. Documented notifications, timely licence applications, and clear tenant communication produce better renovation outcomes and reduce disputes, independent of enforcement risk. Treating compliance as operational discipline rather than legal exposure is the more durable approach.

• https://www.mississauga.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/08155514/rental-repairs-and-renovations-licensing-by-law-0039-2026.pdf
• https://www.mississauga.ca/services-and-programs/building-and-renovating/rental-repairs-and-renovations-licence/apply-for-a-rental-repairs-and-renovations-licence/
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/new-mississauga-renoviction-bylaw-9.7320853
• https://pub-mississauga.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=83143
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-renoviction-rule-law-bylaw-vote-city-9.7262912