As neighbours move out, this Halifax renter is refusing to be 'renovicted'
CBC
Inside a bright green building on Church Street in Halifax, Stacey Gomez sits at her desk, working on her computer. Her home is peaceful, filled with art and plants. Outside, workers saw and hammer.
Gomez is one of the last people left in the seven-unit building. In March, all the tenants were given forms known as a DR5, asking them to leave for renovations, and many complied.
Gomez didn't sign the form. She said she believes her landlord, Marcus Ranjbar, is trying to "renovict" her for minor repairs and renovations, and she's standing her ground.
"I really love my place and I don't want to leave," said Gomez, who's lived in the building since 2017. "I think it would be hard for me to find a comparable place in this area … or even on the peninsula.
"I'm concerned that it's going to significantly impact my life if I have to move."
A renoviction occurs when a landlord forces residents to leave a building so it can be renovated, then rented to new tenants for substantially higher prices.
Nova Scotia's renoviction ban ended on March 21 of this year when the provincial state of emergency was lifted. The building permit for Gomez's address was issued on Jan. 13.
On the permit, the repairs are listed as "flooring, trim, baseboard, paint, fixtures, siding." It notes there will be no structural changes or demolition, and the new siding will be installed over the old siding.
Gomez said the floors, trim and paint in her apartment are not damaged and don't require repairs.
"I think that it is wrong for landlords to be displacing people for increased profits, especially when we're in a housing crisis right now," said Gomez.
When CBC News contacted Ranjbar over the phone for an interview, he said he was advised by legal counsel not to comment.
Tammy Wohler, the managing lawyer of Nova Scotia Legal Aid's social justice office, said attempted renovictions have become increasingly common since the ban was lifted.
Wohler said besides having building permits, a landlord wishing to renovict someone must prove to the Residential Tenancies Board that it's necessary for the tenant to move out.
"The renovations need to be so extensive that vacant possession is required," Wohler said. "So, for example, cosmetic renovations … would typically not require a renoviction. You know, we renovate our homes all the time."
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