Senior faces possible renoviction from home of 50 years as Hamilton unrolls new bylaw to protect tenants

Beverly Hoadley never thought she'd have to move out of her Hamilton apartment of over 50 years.  

But now facing a possible eviction, the 87-year-old says she's afraid she'll soon have no choice but to leave her beloved home. 

"It's pretty awful," Hoadley told CBC Hamilton a week before Christmas. "I'm not sleeping at night. It's torture." 

She was sitting in her armchair by the window, magazines and files neatly stacked within reach and the walls painted a light mint green — exactly the colour she'd requested when her one-bedroom unit was repainted, and equipped with new appliances, in recent years.

She and her husband signed the lease in 1970 for $137 a month. Her rent has slowly increased to account for inflation to $820, but she said it remains affordable even on a fixed senior's pension. 

"I thought I was going to be here until I died," Hoadley said.

That sense of security changed after the building at 103 Emerald St. S. was sold in September, said Hoadley's neighbour Amanda Dick, 42. 

Soon after, the new landlord Endless Property Holdings sent tenants in all 29 units N13 eviction notices. London, Ont., real estate agent Jon Pilon is listed as the corporation's only director. 

He did not respond to a request for comment through his paralegal.

He requested tenants move out by the end of January so he could begin renovations including creating four units in the basement, which is currently unoccupied, as well as painting, installing new floors and replacing windows, doors, counters and appliances in all units. CBC has viewed a copy of the notice, where the plans were detailed. 

"I feel terrible," Dick said, who relies on disability support payments. "I have nowhere to go." 

She and Hoadley said they don't understand why they need to leave the building if their units are on the fourth floor and are in good condition. 

The city is rolling out added layers of protection for tenants starting Jan. 1 in the form of the renovation licence and relocation bylaw in an attempt to stop bad-faith renovictions. 

Those occur when landlords claim tenants have to leave for renovations, but then rent out their units to new tenants at higher rates — ignoring provincial legislation that mandates they must let the original tenants move back in.