In light of the public consultations scheduled on proposed landlord licensing in late August, the Toronto Star revisited 500 Dawes Road. This highly publicized building had the largest number of complaints received by the City’s Municipal Licensing and Standards department. Between 2010 and 2015, the city received 435 complaints pertaining to 500 Dawes and issued 238 violation notices. Problems have ranged from bedbug infestations, repairs not being done and tenant disputes.
The case of 500 Dawes underscores the need for landlord licensing: something that tenants and tenant advocates alike have been calling on the city to implement for years. A recent city council decision asked staff to conduct public consultations with a report projected for the fall. According to Geordie, quoted in the article, the current enforcement system (which is complaints based) is “toothless.”
Consultations are scheduled throughout the city for mid-to-late August.
To read the complete Toronto Star article, visit:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/08/07/new-rules-for-landlords-sound-good-to-tenant-of-much-lamented-building.html