Old Ottawa South Redevelopment Could Displace More Than 50 Tenants: What Ontario Law Requires

OTTAWA, Nov. 12, 2026: JSS Riverdale Holdings Inc., owner of a 23-unit rent-controlled townhouse complex at 551 Riverdale Ave. in Old Ottawa South, has applied to rezone the site for a four-storey, 92-unit rental building, a plan that could displace more than 50 tenants. CBC Ottawa reported that residents were told in early August to leave by next summer. The application is still in review and nothing has been approved.

In Ontario, a landlord who ends a tenancy to demolish a unit must give an N13 notice at least 120 days ahead, ending on the last day of a rental period or fixed term, and, in a building with five or more units, pay three months' rent or offer another unit the tenant accepts, no later than the termination date.

What is proposed at 551 Riverdale Avenue?

The City of Ottawa's development file describes removing the existing townhouse units and building a four-storey, 92-unit rental apartment building with 30 underground and eight surface parking spaces. The owner told CBC the complex has reached the end of its serviceable life and that it will help tenants find housing, subsidize moving costs and offer a right of first refusal in the new building. Neither CBC nor the City file says which notice form tenants received.

What it means for tenants

Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA), a demolition notice does not by itself end your tenancy. The rules that apply:

• Notice: RTA s.50(1)(a) lets a landlord end a tenancy to demolish a unit; s.50(2) sets the termination date at least 120 days after the notice is given, on the last day of a rental period or fixed term. The form is the N13 Notice to End your Tenancy.
• Compensation: RTA s.52(1) requires three months' rent, or another rental unit acceptable to you, when the complex has at least five units and the demolition was not ordered under another Act. Section 55.1 requires it no later than the termination date.
• Leaving early: RTA s.50(4) and (5) let you end the tenancy sooner with at least 10 days' written notice.
• Staying: if you do not move, the landlord must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Under s.73, the LTB will not evict unless the landlord intends in good faith to demolish and has obtained, or taken all reasonable steps to obtain, the needed permits. Under s.83(4), no eviction order issues until the s.52 compensation is paid.

The RTA's right of first refusal in s.53 covers repairs or renovations, not demolition, so any offer of a unit in the new building is voluntary: get it in writing. Our N13 guide explains each ground.

What it means for landlords

An Ontario landlord planning a demolition needs the N13 date, the s.52 payment and the permits to line up, or the LTB can refuse the eviction. Ottawa adds a local layer: City Council approved a Rental Renovation Licence By-law on July 15, 2026, in force Jan. 1, 2027. According to the City of Ottawa, landlords evicting for renovations must get a building permit before giving notice, give the tenant a City guide, and apply for a licence within seven days. CBC reports it does not extend the same protection to demolitions, and that city staff are studying demolition rules for a report in the new year. See our Ontario renovictions guide for the renovation path.

What to do now

• Tenants: check any notice against s.50(2): at least 120 days out, ending on a period end. Keep every letter, and read any agreement to end the tenancy (N11) carefully before signing it, because it is a separate route from an N13.
• Comment on the application: the planner's contact details are on the development application page.
• Landlords: work back from the termination date: permits, then a 120-day N13, then compensation paid on or before that date.
• Both: read how an LTB case runs from notice to enforcement and the Ontario Tenant Resource Center.