Nearly 500 tenants from 5 apartment buildings in Toronto are now on rent strike
CTV
More than 100 tenants at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Avenue West will go on rent strike Sunday joining the ranks of nearly 500 residents who have been withholding payments since early summer.
More than 100 tenants at two northwest Toronto apartment buildings will go on rent strike Sunday, joining the ranks of nearly 500 residents who have been withholding payments since early summer.
The tenants, residing at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Ave. W, claim their landlord, Barney River Investments, has refused to address serious repairs in the building while attempting to implement above-guideline rent increases.
“Everybody is pretty frustrated with their situation,” Chiara Padovani, co-chair of the York South-Weston Tenant Union said Sunday morning. “ But today, they’re feeling pretty confident, [...] like a movement is growing.”
The tenants publicly announced the action at 2 p.m. at the residential complex. CTV News Toronto reached out to Barney River Investments for a statement on Saturday in response to the tenants’ claims but has not received a response.
The deteriorating conditions at the northwest Toronto residences, including a serious insect infestation, have gotten to the point that Canada Post has ceased mail delivery to the residences citing unsafe working conditions.
Padovani says the buildings' elevators are often out of service – an accessibility concern for residents – and that the garbage chutes have not been properly maintained.
