Tenants could be evicted because they have air conditioning

Bhutila Karpoche, MPP for Parkdale-High Park, told The Canadian News she has heard of about 50 residents at 130 Jameson Avenue who could be evicted due to their use of air conditioning.

In addition, just a week after the official start of summer, Toronto had to deal with Humidex readings reaching 40.

According to Ms. Karpoche, one of these tenants, who has lived in the building for years, uses a wheelchair and has serious health problems.

She has lived there for decades and using the air conditioning has never been a problem before. And all of a sudden she got this notice just because she uses air conditioning to stay cool.she said.

This is a serious risk to the health and safety of tenants.

A way to get rid of us

CBC spoke to several residents who have lived in the building for more than 10 years and say using the air conditioning has never been an issue until now.

Gerald Lomond is one of them. He has lived in the building for about ten years, says electricity was included in his tenancy, but now he has to choose whether to pay for it himself or find somewhere else to live.

I feel like it’s a way to get rid of us because we’re paying lower rent. If we were to move out and come back, our rent would go up $600 or $700did he declare.

Cindy Therrian and Elizabeth Beard, who have lived in the building for 30 years and 13 years respectively, agree.

Mrs. Therrian lives with a respiratory disease. She says she feels the owner don’t care about tenants.

A spokesperson for the owner company, Myriad Property Managementsaid in an email that he conducts annual inspections of all units in the building and takes note of any violations of a tenant’s lease, including the presence of air conditioners or other appliances not included. in their contract.

Tenants then receive a warning letter and have one to two weeks to come into compliance, with the option of paying electricity directly or paying a monthly fee to the property management company.

The dwellings of these tenants are then re-inspected. If they continue to use unapproved devices, then they receive a notice that possible eviction is possible, the email reads.

We have never […évincé] someone without giving them the opportunity to remedy the situation in a reasonable manner and within a reasonable timesays the statement.

Maximum regulated temperatures

But Ms. Karpoche says tenants in Ontario face a major flaw created under the Conservative government of former Ontario Premier Mike Harris, according to which if a unit is vacant, rents can increase indefinitely.

There is no cap. So if the rent for a particular unit is doubled, that would be perfectly legal. And it’s a loophole that prompts landlords to evict tenants, most often for reasons of bad faith, sometimes for completely bogus reasons.said Ms. Karpoche.

This is why, according to Ms. Karpoche, rents must be stabilized from one tenant to another. The NDP MP tabled a private member’s bill to that effect during the last session of the legislature. The bill was defeated, she said.

The MP also says Ontario needs to consider regulating maximum temperatures for rentals as it does for minimum temperatures during the winter months.

In the meantime, residents of 130 Jameson Avenue say they have no plans to leave their homes.

Everybody stick togetherMs. Therrian said.