Board Up (By-law No. 2010-211)

This is a consolidation of the City of Ottawa Board up By-law No. 2010-211. This version contains the following amending By-laws:

• 2022-198
• 2023-517

This consolidation of the By-law is current to December 6, 2023.

A by-law of the City of Ottawa respecting the boarding up of certain buildings.

The Council of the City of Ottawa enacts as follows:

• Buildings that appear to be entirely or partially vacant and/or damaged, and that have an opening through which a person may obtain access are required to be boarded up.
• Costs incurred by the City to board up a building, when the owner fails to do so, are added to the tax roll account for the property in question. 

In this by-law:

“accessory building” means a detached subordinate building that is devoted exclusively to a use normally incidental to the main use of the property and is not intended for use as human habitation; (By-law No. 2022-198)

“appropriately finished” means stained or painted to coordinate with other finishes on the exterior of the building;

“building” means a building that is or reasonably appears to be entirely or partially vacant and/or damaged, and that has an opening through which a person may obtain access;

“Chief” definition; (Repealed by By-law No. 2022-198)

“Director” means the Director of By-law and Regulatory Services of the City of Ottawa, or an authorized representative; (By-law No. 2022-198)

“securely fastened” means completely covering the opening and fitted within the side and head jambs, and the exterior bottom sill of the door or window opening.

1. The rules in this section apply to this by-law, unless a contrary intention is evident from the context.
2. Unless otherwise defined, the words and phrases used in this by-law have their normal and ordinary meaning.
3. Wherever this by-law refers to a person with reference to gender or gender-neutral, the intention is to read the by-law with the gender applicable to the circumstances. (By-law No. 2023-517)
4. Words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular.
5. It is declared that if any section, subsection or part thereof is declared by any Court of Law to be bad, illegal or ultra vires, such section, subsection, part or parts shall be deemed to be severable, and all parts hereof are declared to be separate and independent and enacted as such.
6. Headings are inserted for convenience only, form no part of this by-law and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of the provisions of this by-law.

No owner of a building shall fail to board up the building, or an accessory building, to the satisfaction of the Director by covering all openings through which entry can be obtained with appropriately finished, securely fastened plywood, particle board or other similar suitable material that will withstand the weather and prevent entry of persons, and remove any parts of the building, or an accessory building, which, because of their condition, cannot be satisfactorily boarded up. (By-law No. 2022-198)

Section 4

When an owner of a building fails to board up the building, or an accessory building, pursuant to Section 3, the Director shall issue to the registered owner of the building, or an accessory building, a written Notice requiring the owner to board up the building, or an accessory building, and specifying the time allowed for compliance. (By-law No. 2022-198)

Section 5

The Notice shall be served to the owner of the building:

1. personally;
2. by prepaid registered mail to the landlord’s last known address, in which case it shall be deemed to have been given on the third day after it was mailed; or
3. by posting the Notice in a prominent position on the exterior of the building.

Section 6

No owner of a building shall fail to comply with a Notice given under Section 4 of this bylaw.

Section 7

If the owner of a building or an accessory building fails to comply with a Notice, the Director may enter upon the property at any reasonable time for the purposes of causing the building, or an accessory building, to be boarded up at the expense of the owner and of removing any parts of the building, or an accessory building, which, because of their condition, cannot be satisfactorily boarded up. (By-law No. 2022-198)

Section 8

Costs incurred by the City in performing the required work pursuant to the Notice may be recovered by action or by adding the costs to the tax roll and collecting them in the same manner as property taxes.

Section 9

1. Every person who contravenes any of the provisions of this by-law is guilty of an offence.
2. Every person who is convicted of an offence under this by-law is liable to a fine as provided for in the Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O 1990, Chapter p. 33, as amended.

Section 10

1. When a person has been convicted of an offence under this by-law,
   1. the Ontario Court of Justice; or
   2. any court of competent jurisdiction thereafter

may, in addition to any other penalty imposed on the person convicted, make an order prohibiting the continuation or repetition of the offence by the person convicted.

By-law No. 296-99 of the Corporation of the City of Ottawa entitled “A by-law of The Corporation of the City of Ottawa respecting the boarding up of certain buildings”, as amended, is repealed.

This by-law may be referred to as the “Board Up By-law”

ENACTED AND PASSED this 23rd day of June, 2010

Phone:

• 3-1-1
• 613-580-2400
• 1-866-261-9799
• 613-580-2401 (TTY)

In Person: 

Visit one of the Client Service Centres.