Landlord delivers new appliances — and a $4,500 increase in annual rent

A Saint John family who has lived in the same apartment building since 2014 is moving out at the end of January after the property's new landlord increased their rent by $375 per month.  

"I just couldn't believe it," said resident Eileen Godin.

"I've lived here for seven years and the most we've ever had for an increase is $25."

Godin lives in a 12-unit building on Bonita Avenue with her partner, Mark Taylor, and 15-year-old daughter. They are paying $725 a month, but were notified in October that it would jump to $1,100 on Feb. 1, an increase of 52 per cent.  

The property sold in September to a numbered company based in Langley, B.C., for $1.2 million. That's $517,500 more than Service New Brunswick values it to be worth in its most recent assessment.  

The numbered company that bought the property lists Ryan and Christina Leeper as its president and vice-president.  Calls to their phone number on Wednesday went to voicemail and were not returned.

According to Godin, each unit had washers and dryers installed following the sale to replace coin-operated machines in the basement. But she said that's not enough to justify paying an extra $4,500 a year to live there.

Godin believes a number of her neighbours are in the same position.   "The people that live in these buildings, they're making minimum wage and a little bit better, but nothing substantial," said Godin, who works at a fast-food restaurant.

"Most of them are moving out because they can't afford that kind of money."

The family joins a growing list of New Brunswick tenants who have been forced into a move in recent months following the sale of their building and a subsequent rent hike.

It's something affordable housing advocate Kit Hickey says her office sees frequently.

"As these buildings turn over, they are seeing huge increases in rent. Fifty, 75 per cent is not unheard of," she said. 

"What we're looking at are so many more people being forced into unaffordable housing situations and then [in some cases] all of the other necessities of life are forgotten. People are not eating properly, they don't get medications or they're forced into homelessness."

Hickey is executive director of Housing Alternatives Inc., which helps manage non-profit and co-op housing buildings throughout southern New Brunswick. It has no vacancies in any of its buildings.