Does patching drywall in an Ottawa rental unit need a permit?

The City of Ottawa's permit exemption list names "painting and decorating" and "new flooring" but does not name drywall patching, taping or interior finishing. So the answer depends on what the patch involves, not simply that it is a rental unit.

For a straightforward patch, the City's 2026 Building Code Services flood-repair FAQ is the closest published guidance. It says removing drywall to let insulation dry does not need a permit, and notes there are many other repairs that may be done without one. It does not say patching or putting the board back is in the no-permit category. For those steps, the City's lists do not name them; ask the City's Building Code Services directly before work starts.

Where the patch is part of something larger, the permit question changes. Work that the City lists as requiring a permit includes structural alterations such as adding or removing walls, plumbing alterations or additions to a plumbing system (except replacing existing fixtures), and enlarging or relocating a window or door. If the patch covers any of that work, a permit applies to the whole project and the drywall is part of it. The City also says finishing a basement needs a permit, though that is a separate matter.

A few things specific to a rental unit are worth raising with whoever does the work. The same Building Code minimums apply to a rental property as to an owner-occupied home. If the house was built before 1990, Health Canada advises testing before anyone cuts, sands or scrapes, because older surface treatments including drywall and spackling may contain asbestos; a positive result means abatement work before patching can proceed (ottawaabatement.com). The permit question and the test result, if one is done, are both things to sort out before a contractor starts.

The one thing to have in writing before work starts: whether the contractor has confirmed with the City that no permit is needed for this specific scope, or whether they are pulling one.