Trades & Contractors · 5 min read · Last updated
This licence is not about being a renovator. It applies to landlords and operators who have served an N13 notice to end a tenancy so that extensive repairs or renovations can be done in an empty unit. It sits under By-law 24-055, the Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law, rather than the general business licensing by-law, and the clock starts the moment the N13 is served.
The City of Hamilton lists this under its “Establishments” category: “A landlord/operator who has served an N13 notice to a tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, in order to perform extensive repairs or renovations which require vacant possession of a Rental Housing Unit, shall apply for a renovation licence within seven (7) days of serving the N13 notice.”
Who needs this licence?
The licence applies to a landlord or operator who has served an N13 notice to a tenant under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, in order to perform extensive repairs or renovations that require vacant possession of a rental housing unit.
Three things have to be true together: an N13 has been served, the work is extensive repair or renovation, and the work genuinely requires the unit to be empty. Renovation work that can be done around a tenant does not need vacant possession, and a landlord who has not served an N13 is not in this licensing stream at all.
The deadline is the sharpest part of the rule. The application must be made within seven days of serving the N13 notice. That is days, not weeks, and it runs from service rather than from the termination date on the notice.
Note that this licence lives in By-law 24-055, the Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law, which applies city-wide. Do not assume the checklist, declarations or timelines from Hamilton's general business licensing by-law carry over unchanged.
What documents do you need?
The file is short but each item does specific work. The completed licence application form identifies the landlord or operator and the rental housing unit.
Copies of the N13 notices issued show the City what was served and when, which fixes the seven day deadline and identifies the affected tenants.
Proof of a building permit demonstrates that the renovation is substantial enough to be permitted work. It is the objective counterweight to a landlord's own description of the job.
The letter from a qualified professional must indicate that vacant possession is required. This is the heart of the application: an independent, qualified opinion that the unit cannot reasonably be occupied while the work is done.
The signed attestation form confirms proof of temporary arrangements with the tenants. It ties the licence to what happens to the people who live there, not only to the construction schedule.
Zoning and premises requirements
There is no Zoning Verification Certificate on this checklist, and no zoning addendum route. That is a real difference from Hamilton's premises-based business licences, where zoning confirmation is usually the first hurdle.
The reason is that a renovation licence does not authorise a new use of the land. The rental housing unit is already a dwelling, and the licence regulates the process of emptying it for work, not what the property may be used for.
The land-use and construction check is carried by the building permit instead. Proof of that permit is a required document, and the permit is issued against the Building Code and the rules that apply to the property.
If your renovation would change the use of the building, add units or alter the footprint, expect separate planning and permit processes on top of this licence. This licence does not stand in for them.
Inspections and approvals
No fire, health, parking or compliance inspection is listed for this licence, and the Licensing team does not circulate inspection requests as part of it.
The verification instead happens on paper. The building permit proof, the qualified professional's letter and the signed attestation are the checks, and the City assesses them together rather than sending an inspector to look at the unit.
The building permit you rely on has its own inspection regime under the Building Code, carried out as the work proceeds. Those inspections belong to the permit, not to this licence, and clearing them does not renew or extend the renovation licence.
Because the review is documentary, the quality of the professional's letter matters more here than in almost any other Hamilton licence. A vague letter is the most likely reason a file comes back.
How much does it cost?
The fee structure is unusually simple. A single licence fee applies to a new application, with no processing fee, no inspection fees and no zoning charge, and the guide shows no HST on that line.
Renewal carries its own fee, and it is a good deal lower than the fee for the original licence. That reflects the fact that the City has already assessed the underlying application and is checking whether the situation still holds.
A licence that is allowed to lapse attracts a reinstatement fee, the same late fee used across Hamilton's business licences. Given that a lapsed renovation licence sits against a unit where tenants have already been displaced, that is not a deadline to treat casually.
Amounts are set by the City in its fee schedule and confirmed during the application. Ask for the figures in writing when you file, particularly if the renovation is likely to run long enough to need more than one renewal.
How to apply
Work backwards from service. Before you serve the N13, line up the building permit, the qualified professional's letter and the temporary arrangements you will attest to, because you only have seven days after service to apply.
Serve the N13 notices under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and keep clean copies of everything you served.
Complete the licence application form and submit it with the N13 copies, proof of the building permit, the professional's letter on vacant possession and the signed attestation form.
Pay the licence fee and keep the receipt with your tenancy records. If the renovation continues past the licence term, start the renewal before expiry rather than after, since a lapse brings the reinstatement fee into play.
Renewals and staying compliant
Renewal is not a formality. Declaration B must be completed, and two of the original documents have to be refreshed rather than simply re-filed.
You need an updated letter from a qualified professional confirming that the rental housing unit remains unfit for occupancy, or that vacant possession is still required. In other words, the City re-tests the justification each term.
You also need an updated attestation document re-confirming the temporary arrangements with the tenants. If those arrangements have changed, the updated attestation is where that has to surface.
The renewal fee is lower than the initial licence fee, and a late renewal brings the reinstatement fee. Plan the renewal date around the construction schedule, since delays on site are exactly when the licence is most likely to be forgotten.
Quick quiz: test what you learned
Three questions, all answered in this guide. Click an answer to check it.
1. How long does a landlord have to apply for a renovation licence after serving an N13 notice?
The by-law requires the landlord or operator to apply for a renovation licence within seven days of serving the N13 notice.
2. Which by-law governs Hamilton's renovation licence?
The renovation licence sits under By-law 24-055, the city-wide Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law, not under the general business licensing by-law.
3. What must the letter from a qualified professional address?
The checklist asks for a letter from a qualified professional indicating that vacant possession is required, which is the justification the licence turns on.
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This guide is general information, not legal or professional advice. Licensing requirements, by-laws and fees change and vary by municipality — always confirm the current rules with the City before you apply.