These Hamilton tenants say their units are in disrepair while Airbnb guests fill up the building

On wet days in east Hamilton, Melissa Gudgeon says a stream of water runs from the bottom corner of her bedroom window, down the wall and across the floor, pooling by the door. 

In the bathroom, black mould blooms across the ceiling, moisture bubbling and peeling the paint.

Gudgeon said since 2019, she's pushed her current landlord to fix these issues in her two-bedroom apartment she shares with her teenage daughter. She thinks new windows, a new bathtub and maybe even a ventilation fan would make all the difference.

But the repairs have never been done, Gudgeon said.

"We don't really matter," she said. "The Airbnbs are what matter."

She's one of three tenants who told CBC Hamilton their apartments at 2322 King St. E are in need of repairs and maintenance but the work goes undone while their landlord renovates empty units that are then listed on Airbnb. Two of the tenants requested their names be withheld, saying they feared repercussions from the landlord.

They said it's a process that's unfolded close to a dozen times over the last four years: A neighbour moves out or dies. Their unit is renovated with laminate floors, upgraded kitchen appliances and bathrooms, dark wood cupboards and fresh paint. Within a month or so the units are listed on Airbnb for significantly more money.

In a phone interview, landlord Beni Colalillo, who, according to property records, bought the 50-year-old building in 2018, said he has "nothing to do" with the units listed on Airbnb, saying they're rented out by other tenants. He confirmed he renovated the units.

He denied the allegation that he is neglecting repairs in units like Gudgeon's, saying he does regular maintenance and is responsive to tenants' needs.

Paralegal Kimberely Farrell, who is representing Gudgeon and several other tenants at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), described their situation as a "nightmare." 

"Most of the tenants have some medical conditions, mental health conditions that are being exacerbated tremendously by the landlord," Farrell said. 

"[Colalillo] refuses to do proper maintenance in their units because he thinks that they're going to be out."

CBC Hamilton found 10 different Airbnb listings that match the location and appearance of the five-storey, 22-unit building, and were available to rent almost every day into 2024. After Colalillo was interviewed for this story, most of the listings appeared to have been removed from the website.

The units previously posted on Airbnb cost between $51 and $80 per night, or up to $2,400 a month — more than triple what Gudgeon said she currently pays for her unit she's lived in for 12 years.