New Westminster – Earlier today, the Supreme Court of British Columbia released the decision to uphold the City of New Westminster’s Business Regulations and Licensing (Rental Units) Bylaw Amendment Bylaw No. 8085, 2019, which regulates how landlords and rental building owners can undertake renovations and evictions. The ruling was in response to a July 2019 petition filed with the Supreme Court to have the bylaw amendment declared invalid.

“I am very pleased with this decision,” said Mayor Jonathan X. Coté. “Renovictions contribute to housing insecurity in our community and with this decision we will continue to move forward with our efforts to protect tenants from the impacts and risks of renovictions.”

In January 2019, City Council endorsed the Rental Housing Revitalization Initiative, which includes a number of components to protect and preserve the existing purpose built market rental stock in New Westminster. The Business Regulations and Licensing (Rental Units) Bylaw, intended to discourage renovictions, was endorsed as a part of this initiative.

“The City will continue to enforce the Business Regulations and Licensing (Rental Units) Bylaw,” said Emilie Adin, director of development services for the City of New Westminster. “We continue to prioritize our efforts to protect tenants from renovictions.”

The City will continue working with other municipalities and the provincial government to address the significant issue of renovictions. Learn more on the City website at www.newwestcity.ca/tenants.

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Media Contact:

Emilie K. Adin
Director of Development Services
604-527-4698 or