Over 40 long-term tenants in four Akelius owned buildings in Parkdale are taking their landlord to the Landlord and Tenant Board. The tenants, all of whom rented in the buildings before Akelius bought them, believe that the landlord has negatively impacted their living conditions by taking away live-in superintendents and replacing them with a call centre.

Fed up of mounting requests for repairs and delayed response times, Akelius tenants are jointly filing an application at the Board to ask for a reduction of rent for all tenants, compensation for out-of-pocket expenses and a possible fine.

Tenants view this as part of a larger strategy to push out long term tenants, raise rents after making renovations and increase the bottom line while cutting costs.

To read the full article, visit:

http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/08/28/tenants_taking_akelius_canada_to_landlord_and_tenant_board.html

In a rare decision, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the landlord of 500 Dawes Road must pay a teen $10,000 for refusing to rent an apartment to the then 17-year old. The article describes the impact of losing the apartment for the teen that continued to live in an unsuitable environment, dropped out of high school and   was homeless for a time before finding another apartment.

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre suggests that although only about 6% of all cases before the tribunal are related to discrimination in housing and there are a negligible amount relating to discrimination based on age; the ruling is nevertheless important as it sheds light on an often under-reported issue for many youth.

“I want youth to know there’s options out there and I want them to know what their rights actually are,” said the now-20-year old. “I didn’t really know. I was ready to give up. I don’t want any landlord to do this to anybody.”

To read the full article, visit:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/08/19/landlord_to_pay_10000_for_denying_teen_apartment.html

If you are looking for additional resources, visit:

http://www.equalityrights.org/cera/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/CERA-Pamphlet-Youth.pdf

The Ontario government has announced that the annual Rent Increase Guideline, the maximum percentage by which a landlord can increase the rent for most sitting residential tenants without approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board, is 1.6 per cent for 2015. The guideline is in effect from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 and covers roughly 85% of private market tenants.

In order to take a guideline increase, a landlord must provide tenants with a written notice at least 90 days before the rent increase is  supposed to take effect. Moreover, a landlord can only raise a tenant’s rent once every 12 months with written notice.

Akelius, a Swedish-owned company, says it’s offering a new style of modern rental living. But tenant advocates are warning that its aggressive pursuit of higher rents is threatening to distort the city’s already unaffordable housing market ‚Äì and push lower-income residents out of their communities.

The Federation, along with other community partners and affected tenants, has been helping Parkdale Tenants challenge their landlord by assisting in the formation of tenant associations and other coordinated actions.

To read more media coverage on Akelius and how Parkdale tenants are challenging their new landlord, please visit:

“New Rent Monster”- Now Magazine, July 31, 2014:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=199080

“Parkdale Tenants Accuse Firm of Ignoring Repairs in Bid to Push Them Out”- Toronto Star, July 23, 2014:

http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/07/23/apartment_tenants_accuse_firm_of_ignoring_repair_requests.html

“Toronto’s Parkdale Residents Fear Radical Gentrification as European Company Buys Up Thousands of Apartments”- CBC as It Happens, June 27, 2014

http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2014/06/27/parkdale/

Occupy Akelius (blog)

http://occupyakelius.wordpress.com/

In 2013, after numerous issues with repairs, tenants at 1501 Woodbine Avenue decided to document and post problems with their buildings.  The building is one of the most heavily investigated building in Toronto from the City Property Standards department.

Fed up with poor repairs, escalating rents and fear of being forced out of their neighbourhood, tenants in Parkdale  from three buildings owned by Akelius marched on their landlord's property management office, forcing a meeting with Akelius property managers.

The Parkdale Community Legal Aid Clinic also had law student Simon Wallace discuss the issues with Akelius on CBC's As it Happens.

“Thorncliffe serves as an example that if you have a strong social capital and networks within a neighbourhood ‚Ķ those factors will serve to promote high voter turnout,  (It) is a model of what we should hope all Toronto neighbourhoods can become.”- Myer Siemiatycki, Ryerson University

The Thorncliffe Park Tenants Association is organizing a candidates debate for the municipal election  at a local library in September 2014.

In the 2010 municipal election, 52.5 per cent of eligible voters in Thorncliffe Park cast ballots, placing it among the top 20 per cent of the city’s 140

neighbourhoods, ahead of a collection of much more affluent areas. This is largely due to  a range of community programs, the prioritization of local and tenant issues as election issues and the frequent visits by local politicians.

To read the full article, click here

The tenant issues sub-committee is scheduled to have its first meeting. This committee reports to the Community Development and Recreation Sub-Committee on tenant defence policy and grant issues.

Have your say either in person or in writing!

Date: June 16, 2014

Time: 7:00 P.M.

Location: Committee Room3, North York Civic Centre

Secretariat Contact: Jennifer Lin

10th floor, West Tower, City Hall

100 Queen Street West

Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

email: [email protected]

phone: 416-397-4592

Members

Maria Augimeri

Josh Matlow

Kristyn Wong-Tam

For more information and for meeting materials, click here!

Are you recorded as an eligible elector for the upcoming municipal election? voterlookup.ca allows electors to confirm whether they are on the Preliminary List of Electors, used to prepare the Voters’ List for election day.

Visit voterlookup.ca to confirm and update your elector details. Have your say. Log on today.

For more information, please contact MPAC at 1 866 296-6722.